Bakugan Battle Brawlers VOL 1
by 19jchoi
Summary: When a new Bakugan Brawler named Sora meets a mysterious Bakugan named Leonidas, Sora will soon learn that he's in for a wild and dangerous adventure, along with the Battle Brawlers. But when Sora comes to learn that both Vestroia and Earth are in danger by dark forces, will he have the courage to fight alongside the Brawlers to defeat the enemies and win the battle?
1. The New Brawler in Town!

**Bakugan Battle Brawlers VOL. 1**

 **(I do not own any of the Bakugan series)**

 **(The first 6 chapters happens between Episode 8 and 9)**

 **Chapter 1: The New Brawler in Town!**

 **Dan** \- My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere! At first, they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game! That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all! They were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan! And together with my friends, Runo! Marucho! Julie! Not to mention Mr. Hotshot himself, Shun! And Alice! We are...

 **Battle Brawlers** \- The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

 **Dan** \- Bakugan! One goal, two worlds!

* * *

 **(Bakugan Battle Brawlers Opening 1)**

 ** _What are ya gonna do?_**

(Dan enters into battle with the field revealing itself)

 ** _The odds are stacked against you,  
Back against the wall,_**

(Dan and Masquerade activate their cards to begin battle)

(The two brawlers launch their Bakugan against each other)

 ** _You gotta give it your all,_**

(An unknown boy floats with an unknown dragon Bakugan)

 ** _This is the final stand,_**

(Multiple scenes of different Bakugan appear)

 ** _The powers in your hand!_**

(Dan throws a Gate Card)

 ** _Two worlds collide,  
On the inside,_**

(Naga reaches for the Infinity and the Silent Core)

(Vestroia gets affected by Naga's actions)

(Drago uses Boosted Dragon on an opponent)

(Scenes of a masked brawler, and his Darkus Bakugan appear)

 ** _You got to fight for what's right,_**

(The protagonist raises an unknown card before the card glows)

 ** _Before it's gone,  
Gone, gone,  
This is Bakugan!_**

(Dan and Marucho prepares for battle while the protagonist and Runo waits)

(Dan returns a Bakugan with a grin)

(The title appears)

 **[Opening Ends]**

* * *

A boy was walking down the street, where the weather was looking a little gloomy due to a little rain. His untidy hair was matted with rainwater, along with his black sweatshirt. Even his dark jeans were a little wet from the rain.

The boy walked slowly as his eyes showed no light on it. It's as if... he lost hope in his life.

 **Boy** \- ...

He remained silent, as if he had forgotten how to talk, before he looked up at the dark sky.

 **Boy** \- ...Why...?

The boy breathed out silently before he closed his eyes, still standing. He wanted everything to end... every painful times to end. The times of his loss... and the times when he had no one to rely on.

Just before he was about to lose his remaining hope, he felt light shining down on him, startling him before he covered his face with his arms to prevent himself from being blinded. Slowly opening his eyes, he noticed something large.

 **Boy (surprised)** \- ...!

The large figure that was approaching him looked like a black dragon, whose eyes looked fierce and full of hate and anger.

 **Boy (frightened)** \- Who... are you...?

The dragon doesn't respond but roars instead, causing the boy's surroundings to tremble and crack at the power as the boy looked around in shock and disbelief.

 **Boy (frightened)** \- Ah... Ah...

The ground the boy was standing on began to crack, causing the boy to feel more frightened before tears welled up in his eyes. But before he could make a sound of fear, the ground gave way, causing the boy to fall deep into a dark space.

 **Boy (frightened)** \- AHHHHHH!

* * *

 **Boy (startled)** \- AH!

Panting and widening his eyes, the boy looked around to see himself in his bedroom. He sighed in relief, before shaking his head.

 **Boy (relieved)** \- It was... just a dream. But... this isn't the first time it happened.

Getting out of bed, the boy headed to the bathroom to check himself with the mirror. His untidy black hair was the same, along with his black pupils in his eyes. His face looked clear, with no damage on him.

 **Boy (unsure)** \- Why is it when I sleep, I always have that dream? Or a nightmare, maybe? I just... don't know anymore.

He looks out the window to see the moon shining bright in the sky, before he looked to his left, where his desk was. On t of the desk was where a small basket was, having dark balls in it, which were known to be... Bakugan.

 **Boy (unsure)** \- Could it be related to Bakugan...? That dragon I keep dreaming looked like it suffered through something. And it's not some ordinary dragon, too...

He picks up a black Bakugan that was a Darkus Attribute. Playing it with his palm and fingers, the boy sighs before he places it back in the basket where all the other Darkus Bakugan were.

 **Boy (thinking)** \- _It's only been a while since I've started playing Bakugan, yet I still don't know the basics of it. If only there was someone that could teach me, like one of the Battle Brawlers, maybe things would be much easier..._

He sighs before lying back on his back, trying to go back to sleep to try and forget.

 **Boy (unsure)** \- I just wish... I knew who that black dragon was... Maybe then I'd be finally able to withstand the nightmares I'm given.

With those final words, the boy finally fall asleep, not knowing that tomorrow would be the day when his true time as a Brawler would begin.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at an Unknown Hyperspace...**

A loud roar was heard, before a giant dragon was revealed trapped inside some sort of core. It began to give energy to something small before a dark figure sneered before he retrieved the energy that was given by the dragon that was trapped.

 **Evil Man (malicious)** \- Finally! The Silent Orb is complete! Now, all Bakugan will bow down... to ME! HA HA HA HA HA!

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at the Doom Dimension...**

In the dark dimension where many Bakugan were banished, it was all quiet and dark. That is... until a certain ball of light appeared, before rising up. As soon as that ball of light rose up, so did many others.

The balls of light seemed to be coming from the Bakugan that had fallen as they all began to merge together, creating an even bigger ball of energy! By the time all the balls of light merged together, something was born.

A shadowy figure of a dragon appeared out of the energy before it roared. It soar through to the high heights, heading to where a portal suddenly opened. The dragon made its way out of the dark dimension, to head where it felt like it's supposed to go.

* * *

 **Back at Earth...**

 **Boy (bewildered)** \- No way! I never made fun of you guys!

 **Bully (arrogant)** \- Admit it, punk! You were making fun of the way I battle! Right, Akira?

 **Akira (cocky)** \- That's what I heard! What's your problem, kid?

 **Boy (bewildered)** \- Nothing! I just like Bakugan!

When morning arose, the boy was trying to search for someone to have a battle with, so he could learn the basics on how to play Bakugan. Unfortunately, he had ran into a bully named Shuji and his little brother Akira.

Understanding the reputation Shuji had as a battler, the boy concluded that Shuji wasn't part of the Battle Brawlers as he tried to find someone else that was friends with them. However, it insulted Shuji as he assumed the boy was making fun of his skills.

So right now, the boy is finding himself cornered by the two bullies as they immediately began to gang up on him because of their premature assumptions. And he wasn't liking this at all.

 **Shuji (arrogant)** \- Well, so do I! And now, I'm gonna show you on how it's played!

 **Boy (hesitant)** \- B-But... But I'm new at Bakugan! I don't even know all the rules yet!

 **Shuji (arrogant)** \- Well, you're about to learn! The hard way!

 **Akira (cocky)** \- Teach him a lesson, Shuji!

Shuji cracked his knuckles at those words, amming the boy gulp as he took another step back while trying to keep his face all calm and collected. However, he couldn't hide the fact that he was scared of what he was about to experience.

But just as Shuji was about to force the boy into battling, someone else interfered with the issue, someone that the boy knew of from online.

 **Familiar Voice** \- Back off, Shuji!

The three brawlers turned to see Dan standing behind them with a small smile on his face! His Guardian Bakugan, **Drago** , was sitting on his left shoulder when the Pyrus Brawler appeared.

 **Shuji (annoyed)** \- Wha!? Dan!? This is none of your business! Get lost!

Smirking, the Pyrus Brawler ignores Shuji's threat before he turns to the boy with a question.

 **Dan** \- Hey, kid! What's going on here?

 **Boy (amazed)** \- Whoa! Dan from the Bakugan Brawlers!? You're all over the net!

 **Dan** \- So? You need any help?

 **Boy (amazed)** \- Are you serious? That would be awesome!

With those words, Dan pulled out his card to activate the field, with Shuji and Akira pulling out theirs. The boy followed the three as they began to activate the battlefield.

 **Dan (confident)** \- No problem! I'll show you some of my old tricks! And if you're lucky, I won't even charge ya! Ha ha!

The boy sweat dropped at those confident words before he shook his head, as he turned to face Shuji and Akira, as the bully was ready to brawl.

 **Shuji (annoyed)** \- Enough talking, twerps! It's time for some battle!

 **Dan, Boy, Shuji, and Akira** \- Field, Open!

The Attribute Hexagon revealed itself as time began to slow down before it stopped. Time wasn't going to continue on unless the battle was over.

* * *

 **Shuji VS Unknown Boy**

With the field opening, the boy looked around to see himself in the Bakugan battlefield, with Dan and Drago next to him. Shuji and Akira stood at the opposite side, as Dan offered some advice for the new battler.

 **Dan** \- Hey, this is your first time in a real Bakugan Battle, right?

 **Boy (hesitant)** \- Well, yeah... All I know is how to start, like throwing the Gate Cards and stuff like that. Then, when two Bakugan stand on the same card, the battle begins.

 **Dan (amazed)** \- Huh... So you know the basics of battle. Alright! Throw one of your Gate Cards and see which is best for you to use!

The boy nodded as Shuji took out a Gate Card impatiently.

 **Shuji (impatient)** \- Quit stalling! Gate Card, set!

 **Boy** \- Gate Card, set!

The two Gate Cards flew past each other before they each landed on the field. They glowed for a bit before enlarging to bigger sizes so that the Bakugan battles could begin.

 **01T**

 **Shuji (cocky)** \- I'll start! Bakugan, brawl!

The arrogant Brawler threw out a Subterra Bakugan on his Gate Card, before calling it.

 **Shuji** \- Bakugan, stand!

The Bakugan that Shuji called out was a Subterra **Saurus** , who roared at being sent out onto the Gate Card. Widening his eyes in surprise, the boy checked his Baku-Pod where it calculated all the Bakugan's Power Levels.

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Battle begins. Opponent's Saurus recognized, at 290 G's._

 **Dan** \- So Shuji sent out a Subterra Saurus! Okay, kid! Now, it's your turn to choose a Bakugan to send out!

 **Boy (hesitant)** \- Uh, right...

 **02T**

Remembering the three Bakugan he had with him right now, the new Brawler made his choice before he sent out his Bakugan out to battle.

 **Boy** \- Okay, here goes! Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!

The Bakugan rolled up onto Shuji's Card, revealing itself to be... Darkus **Juggernoid**! A turtle-like Bakugan that came out of its shell to face the dinosaur-like Bakugan.

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Bakugan recognized. Darkus Juggernoid's Power Level at 280 G's._

 **Boy** \- 280? Looks like I made a mistake by sending Juggernoid out...

 **Dan (calm)** \- Don't jump into conclusions just yet, kid! The battle really starts now, since both Bakugan are at the same card!

 **Shuji** \- And this is also where I get to crush you in the first round! Gate Card, open!

Both Dan and the boy turned to see Shuji opening the Subterra Reactor Gate Card, allowing his Saurus' Power Level to boost up!

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Saurus' Power Level increases to 390 G's._

 **Boy (surprised)** \- This is bad! If this keeps up...!

 **Dan** \- Don't panic, kid! You still have an Ability Card you can use, right? Use one of your Ability Cards to counter Shuji's attack!

At the mention of Ability Cards, the boy looked at the cards he brought with him before he activated one of them to counter the attack from Subterra Saurus!

 **Boy (hesitant)** \- I hope this works... Ability Card, activate! **Spice Slayer**!

Using the Ability Card he just played, Saurus began to roar in losing power while Juggernoid on the other hand, drained that power boost from the Subterra Bakugan!

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Adjusting Power Level. Saurus' Power Level decreases to 290 G's. Juggernoid's Power Level rises up to 380 G's._

 **Dan (ecstatic)** \- Aw, sweet! That Ability Card just now drained the power boost from Shuji's Subterra Saurus, making the kid's Juggernoid even more stronger!

 **Shuji (shocked)** \- What!? How did you do that!?

Akira just watched in shock to see his brother's Bakugan get defeated by the Darkus Bakugan, as Saurus returned to its ball form in defeat, leaving his brother with only two Bakugan allowed in battle now.

 **Juggernoid** on the other hand, returned to the boy's hand in its ball form as he had won the first match

 **Shuji : 2 Bakugan**

 **03T**

 **Akira (shocked)** \- How... did that happen!? I thought you said you had this kid, big bro!

 **Shuji (annoyed)** \- I know! He just got lucky from that battle! This won't be the same! Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!

Understanding with how his little brother was frustrated from that one loss, Shuji threw out another Bakugan for the boy to face as the Bakugan revealed itself to be... Subterra **Serpenoid**! The snake-like Bakugan hissed, awaiting its opponent.

 **04T**

 **Dan** \- Well, kid... Looks like this Bakugan has 300 G's, thanks to my Baku-Pod! I think you know how to deal with this!

 **Boy (unsure)** \- I'm not sure... It's even stronger than when Saurus was out...

As he spoke, he wondered whether to send Juggernoid out again until he came up with another thought.

 **Boy** \- Right... Here goes! Bakugan, brawl! Hah!

The Bakugan was thrown, landing on the card that belonged to the beginner. The ball opened up, revealing itself to be... a Darkus Serpenoid!

 **Shuji (annoyed)** \- Oh great... A snake against a snake. Except my snake should be stronger than yours! Ability Card, activate! **Earth Power**!

The Ability Card Shuji has activated made the Subterra serpent Bakugan stronger, as it hissed with the new power given.

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Subterra Serpenoid's Power Level increases to 350 G's._

 **Boy (surprised)** \- Another power boost? And it's not from a Gate Card this time, but from an Ability Card!

 **Dan** \- Right. That's because Ability Cards have the ability to boost a Bakugan's Power, negate a Gate Card's effect, or drain energy from the opponent's Bakugan, just like how you did with Juggernoid in the last battle.

 **Boy** \- I see... So if he used that Ability Card to boost his power... Gate Card, open! **Additional Task**!

The Command Gate Card was activated, forcing the Subterra Serpenoid to return to Shuji's hand, much to the arrogant Brawler's disbelief and confusion.

 **Shuji (confused)** \- Huh!? What just happened!? We were right in the middle of a battle!

 **Dan (amused)** \- Whoa... I didn't expect the kid to have that card.

 **Drago (curious)** \- What did he just do? It forced Shuji's Bakugan to return to his hand.

 **Dan** \- That's because the Command Card, **Additional Task** , forces the opponent's Bakugan to return to their hand! And because of that, Shuji's Subterra Serpenoid lost the power boost it got from his Ability Card! Smart move, kid!

 **Boy** \- Yeah...

 **05T**

 **Shuji (annoyed)** \- Lucky move, kid! But luck doesn't get you anywhere all the time! Bakugan, brawl! **Juggernoid** , stand!

The Subterra turtle-like Bakugan revealed itself, facing the dark serpent Bakugan, who hissed at a new opponent coming out to play against itself.

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Bakugan recognized. Juggernoid's Power Level is at 320 G's. Serpenoid's Power Level is at 300 G's._

 **Boy (unsure)** \- Another Bakugan with a higher Power Level? Hasn't this guy had enough of sending in stronger Bakugan before battle?

 **Shuji (annoyed)** \- Less stalling and more battling, kid! Ability Card, activate! **Desert** **Thunder**!

The new Ability Card boosted his Bakugan's Power again, only for it to be a 100 point boost instead of 50! And with the new power, Shuji's Juggernoid's Power Level rose up to 420 G's.

Juggernoid charged at Serpenoid, ready to make a triumphant strike, until the new Brawler played another card to counter his opponent's strike attack.

 **Boy** \- I-I won't let you! Ability Card, activate! **Spice Slayer**!

 **Shuji (shocked)** \- What!? That Ability again!

The arrogant Brawler watched as his Juggernoid began to lose the energy boost it got from the **Desert Thunder** Ability Card! Serpenoid, on the other hand gained the energy it stole from the Subterra Bakugan.

 **Baku-Pod** \- _100 G's transferred from Juggernoid to Serpenoid._

 **Boy** \- Do it, Serpenoid!

At the order, the snake-like Bakugan hissed before it lunged onto Juggernoid, biting one of its legs before throwing it high into the air! The turtle-like Bakugan roared in pain before it transformed back into its ball form.

 **Shuji** **: 1 Bakugan**

 **06T**

 **Akira (disbelief)** \- Huh!? Bro, what are you doing!? You're losing to a beginner!?

 **Shuji (annoyed)** \- Hey! It's not like I'm trying to lose on purpose! Don't make me look like the loser here, Akira!

While the two brothers were arguing with each other, both Dan and the boy watched with sweat drops as Drago sighed with a shake of his head.

 **Drago (annoyed)** \- Those two... Don't they realize that the battle is still going on? I'll never understand humans like those two...

 **Dan** \- So much for planning to rough you up. You're up, kid!

 **Boy (hesitant)** \- R-Right... Gate Card, set!

The boy threw out another Gate Card to set on the battlefield, catching both brothers' attention as the boy threw out another Bakugan to use.

 **Boy** \- Here goes! Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!

The Bakugan was thrown, revealing itself to be Darkus **Saurus**! Shuji clenched his fists, as he was prepared to try and make a comeback move against the beginner that managed to outplay him, despite of Dan's little assistance.

 **07T**

 **Shuji (angry)** \- I won't be losing this match! The real battle starts here and now! Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!

The Subterra **Serpenoid** revealed itself, hissing at the dark dinosaur-like Bakugan before the battle began.

 **Shuji / Boy** \- Battle begin!

Saurus roared as it charged onto Serpenoid, who wrapped its coils around it. The snake-like Bakugan began to squeeze the dinosaur-like Bakugan, causing Saurus to roar in pain. The boy watched as Shuji prepared to finish the battle up with an Ability Card.

 **Shuji (cocky)** \- You're toast, kid! Ability Card, activate! **Wall Burst**!

The Ability Card that was thrown made the power of Saurus grow weaker as it roared in pain from the more painful grip it felt from the squeeze by Serpenoid. With the effect of Wall Burst, Saurus' Power Level dropped down to 190 G's.

 **Dan (alarmed)** \- Heads up, kid!

 **Boy (surprised)** \- R-Right! Gate Card, open! **Character**!

 **Shuji (surprised)** \- Did he say, Character Card!? The Gate Card that doubles a Bakugan's Power Level!?

Shuji's worst fears came true when the Gate Card opened, causing the Saurus Character Card to be able to double the power of Saurus' Power Level!

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Saurus' Power Level doubles to 380 G's._

With Saurus' power doubling, the dinosaur-like Bakugan roared before it freed itself from Serpenoid's coils, before it punched the snake-like Bakugan into the air! Defeated by the power difference, Serpenoid returned to its ball form, defeated.

The bully could only watch in disbelief as his Bakugan returned to him, causing him to lose the entire battle.

 **Shuji (stunned)** \- Huh...?

 **Dan (ecstatic)** \- Alright! The kid won!

At hearing that he had won the battle, the new Brawler sighed in relief before he scratched the back of his head with a small chuckle.

 **WIN: Boy**

* * *

 **Akira (disbelief)** \- H-How? How did you beat my brother!?

With the Field closing, Shuji was on his knees while his little brother was in disbelief. His big brother, lost to the new player who never played Bakugan before! Shuji gritted his teeth in frustration before he pointed at the boy angrily.

 **Shuji (angry)** \- This isn't finished, kid! Just wait until I battle you again! You'll be sorry for sure!

At those words, Shuji and Akira ran off, leaving the boy and Dan behind.

 **Shuji (arrogant)** \- And he didn't beat me, Akira! I... I let him win!

The boy sighed in relief, as he was happy for winning the battle, but also relieved to see that he wouldn't be bothered again for a while. Just as he was about to feel joy in his victory, he felt something punching onto his left shoulder, only for it to be a playful punch!

 **Dan (impressed)** \- Nice job! You rot!

 **Boy (unsure)** \- Um... thanks? You did teach me on how to handle battles, after all.

 **Drago** \- Actually, kid... Daniel here only warned you on how a battle really begins and how Gate Cards and Ability Cards are used. You, on the other hand, seemed to know how to counter your opponent's powers pretty well.

 **Dan (surprised)** \- Aw, come on, Drago! Do you have to say things like that? He would've been in trouble if we weren't here for him!

 **Drago** \- Ha! You're one to talk, Dan. You still have a long way to go if you want to be the best, or even defeat Masquerade, for that matter.

Those words stung Dan a little before he glared at his Guardian Bakugan.

 **Dan (irritated)** \- Ah, whatever! You sure have a funny way of saying things to me especially since we became partners, for real! Especially since you started treating me like I was your servant, calling me 'human this' and 'human that'!

 **Drago (annoyed)** \- That's only because you were treating me and your other Bakugan like toys! I already told you this, Daniel, but Bakugan is more than just a game! You even threw me into a river because of that argument of ours before which included your Bakugan!

The boy watched as the Pyrus Brawler and his Guardian Bakugan argue with each other before a small smile rose up to his face. Seeing them argue back and forth, it was too much for the boy to bear as he gave a small chuckle at the two.

That caught their attention as they ceased their argument to stare at the boy in confusion.

 **Dan (confused)** \- Huh? Is something funny, kid?

 **Boy (chuckling)** \- Sorry, sorry... You two just, I don't know, reminds me of how best friends get along with each other...

Both Dan and Drago look at each other before the Pyrus Brawler regained his smile before he chuckled. Even Drago found this a little funny as he gave a small chuckle, too.

 **Dan (chuckling)** \- Best friends, huh? I guess you can put it that way. Anyways... a little more practice and who knows? You might be able to reach up to the Top 50 or Top 20 if you keep this up!

 **Boy** **(unsure)** \- Well, that would be awesome, but... I'm just a beginner. To end up in a higher rank and become stronger myself with my Bakugan... I need a wicked Bakugan! Something like Drago, for example...

At those words, the Pyrus Brawler looked back at his Guardian Bakugan while Drago looked at his human partner back before they knew what the boy meant. Dan just smiled, before understanding how the new Brawler felt for a good partner.

 **Dan (understanding)** \- Hm... I see what you mean. It's real important to have a tight relationship with your Bakugan! Of course, that's something what Drago taught me when Bakugan were more than just fun and games...

 **Drago** \- Hmph...

 **Boy** \- I see... Anyways, thanks, Dan!

 **Dan** \- Gotta roll! Catch ya later, buddy! And good luck!

The boy nodded to Dan, who began to walk off until Drago reminded Dan of something.

 **Drago** \- Hold it, Dan... Aren't you going to ask him for his name?

That stops the Pyrus Brawler as he freezes up before coming to a realization.

 **Dan (startled)** \- Aw, snap! You're right! Hey, kid! Mind if I catch your... name?

Just as Dan turned to see where the boy was, the new Brawler was nowhere in sight, catching the Pyrus Brawler by surprise as he looked around. The boy he helped was nowhere in sight as he scratched the back of his head.

 **Dan (confused)** \- Huh? Where did he go? He was here just a few seconds ago...

 **Drago (irritated)** \- Ugh...

Without knowing where the boy went, the Pyrus Brawler shook his head and continued exiting out of the park, not knowing that the boy was actually headed down to where his home was.

* * *

 **Later...**

Dropping onto his bed, the boy sighed, understanding what he's been through today.

 **Boy (amazed)** \- I can't believe that I met Dan, one of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers... I only wonder if he would accept me into the Battle Brawlers if I work hard enough...

Looking at the ceiling, he took out his three Bakugan that he used today against Shuji, before placing them on the bed.

 **Boy (grateful)** \- Thanks, you three... You may not hear or know what I'm saying, but... I'm glad that you three were the ones that helped me win that battle today, along with Dan's help...

His three Darkus Bakugan doesn't respond to his thanks, causing the boy to sigh before he shook his head.

 **Boy (knowing)** \- Figured they wouldn't respond... Now I wish that I had a talking Bakugan to talk to, just like how Dan has Drago or when Runo has Tigrerra...

With the sun setting, the boy made dinner for himself before he washed up and lied on his bed. Looking at the stars out his window, the boy frowned before he let his sleep take over him. What he didn't know, was that tomorrow would give him the chance to become the strongest.

* * *

 **The next morning...**

The boy was walking into the park, hoping to encounter someone there only to see no one around. He looked around to see if there was anyone to battle against, only to find no one. He sighed, before he held the back of his head with a frown.

 **Boy (serious)** \- Oh... I'll be a Battle Brawler... someday.

But just as he said those words, a bright light shone right in front of him, catching the new Brawler by surprise. Eventually, the light started getting even brighter, surprising the boy!

 **Boy (surprised)** \- Huh? What's going on... WHOA!

As the boy covers his eyes to prevent himself from being blinded, it began to die down with purple sparkles of light showering down a little slowly. Looking around, the boy kept the surprised look on his face before he felt something tap onto his left foot.

Looking down, the boy blinked to see an unknown Darkus Bakugan right at his left foot, causing him to lower down and pick it up, before inspecting the new Bakugan with his curious eyes.

 **Boy (curious)** \- A...A Bakugan? Wow! I've never seen this one before!

Just as the boy took the Bakugan into his right hand, the Bakugan opened up, catching him by surprise! But just as he was about to exclaim his surprise, his surprise only became higher when the Bakugan in his hand spoke.

 **Darkus Bakugan (curious)** \- W-Where am I?

 **Boy (bewildered)** \- Uh... Planet Earth?

The Darkus Bakugan lowered its head a little and huffed, like he sounded disappointed or something.

 **Darkus Bakugan (disappointed)** \- Not in Vestroia, then?

Widening his eyes to hear the Bakugan's universe from the new Bakugan's voice, the boy frowned at the new Bakugan. This was clearly no ordinary Bakugan, since it can talk and it sounded like he was a strong battler of some sort.

 **Boy (curious)** \- W-Who are you?

 **Darkus Bakugan** \- My name is **Leonidas**.

At Leonidas introducing himself, the boy felt surprised. The tone of this Bakugan didn't sound friendly, but he didn't sound like an enemy Bakugan, either. That was when something came to his mind before he made an offer to the new Darkus Bakugan.

 **Boy (unsure)** \- Huh... Um, hey... You want to team up with me? I bet we could beat anyone!

At those words, the boy felt determination rising up to his chest as his timid expression turned serious as he felt determined to become the strongest Brawler, which seemed to have caught Leonidas' attention.

 **Leonidas (curious)** \- You mean if I battle with you, I'll have the chance to beat the other Bakugan?

 **Boy (assuring)** \- Yeah! We can beat them all, that is... If you want to!

The new Bakugan began to think for a while before he slolwy made his decision. Looking up at the boy, he spoke his words while coming to a decision.

 **Leonidas (serious)** \- Hm... I sense that in this world that I will only release my true power in these Bakugan battles.

At those words, the boy frowned, before realizing what the Darkus Bakugan meant by releasing his true power.

 **Boy (unsure)** \- Releasing your true power? Does that mean... You accept to be my partner?

 **Leonidas (serious)** \- That's exactly what I mean, kid. Of course I accept your offer!

 **Boy (grateful)** \- That's... awesome! It's great to meet you... partner.

The boy spoke the partner word silently until the Bakugan made a demand or a request for the human boy.

 **Leonidas** \- Hold it, kid... Before we start as actual partners, you're gonna have to tell me your name too since I told you mine! I can't keep calling you kid, just so you know...

 **Boy (unsure)** \- Oh... Right. My name... My name is Sora. Sora Minazuki. But just Sora will be fine.

 **Leonidas** \- Sora, huh... Nice name, for a human that is, I think...

 **Sora (unsure)** \- Um... Thanks?

 **Familiar Voice** \- Aha! There you are!

Sora blinked, remembering that voice before he turned to see Akira glaring at him, while Sora just blinked in surprise.

 **Sora (confused)** \- Can I help you with something? It doesn't look like your brother is with you...

 **Akira (determined)** \- That's because I came here alone! I'm gonna beat you before Shuji does! So let's have a battle!

 **Sora (surprised)** \- Right now?

 **Leonidas (annoyed)** \- Hmph... A human brat. And this one looks obnoxious... Are you gonna just let him talk to you like that? I'd say that you accept his challenge so I can beat some sense into this kid and his Bakugan.

Surprised with the sudden aggressive tone Leonidas was giving off, the new Brawler frowned for a moment before he looked back at Akira, who was waiting for an answer.

 **Sora** \- Huh... All right, then. I accept your challenge, Akira! Don't expect an easy win, though!

 **Akira (cocky)** \- About time! You're going down, kid!

Both players revealed their cards to open up the field so that the battle could begin.

 **Sora and Akira** \- Bakugan! Field, Open!

With their Field Cards glowing, time began to stop as the two Brawlers were surrounded by the Attribute Hexagon, where the battlefield would open.

* * *

 **Sora VS Akira**

With the Field opened up and prepared, both players pulled out a Gate Card for them to be able to use!

 **Sora / Akira** \- Gate Card, set!

The two threw out their Gate Cards, allowing the cards to enlarge themselves when they landed on the field. With the preparations all set up, Akira made the first move.

 **01T**

 **Akira** \- Guess it's my turn to shine! Bakugan, brawl! **Centipoid** , stand!

The young Brawler threw out a Subterra Bakugan that looked like a centipede onto his Gate Card, where it appeared, calling out its battle cry. Sora watched as he looked at Leonidas for a moment.

 **02T**

 **Sora** \- Alright... Here goes nothing! You ready for battle, Leonidas?

 **Leonidas (determined)** \- Do you really need to ask? Let's battle!

Making himself turn back into a ball, the Darkus Bakugan allowed himself to be used by Sora as the Darkus Brawler threw Leonidas into the game, to where Centipoid was standing on Akira's Card!

 **Sora** \- Bakugan, brawl! **Leonidas** , stand!

As soon as Leonidas stood on Akira's Gate Card, the ground shook for a moment as a large shadow appeared on where Leonida made a stand! Both Sora and Akira watched in disbelief to see Leonidas roaring at being called out to the battlefield.

 **Leonidas** \- HAH! Yes! Now I can unleash my true power!

 **Sora (shocked)** \- N-No way... This is what Leonidas really looks like? And his Power Level...!

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Leonidas enters battle. Leonidas' Power Level at 400 G's. Centipoid's Power Level is at 320 G's._

 **Sora (amazed)** \- 400 G's...? That's amazing...

 **Leonidas (confident)** \- Hmph... You'll be more surprised when I battle!

Akira was in shock too to see that a Bakugan would be that powerful. But nevertheless, he shook his head before preparing to right against Sora's new partner.

 **Akira (irritated)** \- Argh! That doesn't matter! This should wipe you out! Gate Card, open!

The Subterra Reactor Gate Card revealed itself, giving Centipoid a big boost!

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Centipoid's Power Level increases by 150. Power Level increases to 470 G's._

 **Sora** \- A power boost Gate Card, huh? In that case, this card should do the trick! Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**! Now Leonidas will be even more stronger thanks to his signature power!

At those words, Leonidas charged up energy in his mouth, ready to launch it towards Centipoid.

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Leonidas' Power Level increases to 600 G's._

 **Akira (shocked)** \- 600 G's!? I can't stand up to that! Centipoid, look out!

The words came too late as Leonidas launched a powerful energy blast to blast Centipoid out of the way! With the power difference being too high, the centipede-like Bakugan was defeated, forced to return to its ball form.

 **Akira : 2 Bakugan**

 **03T**

 **Akira (shocked)** \- Ah!

Leonidas did the same by returning to Sora, only by victory.

 **Sora (amazed)** \- That was awesome, Leonidas! I didn't think you'd be this strong!

 **Leonidas (confident)** \- I told you I'd release my true power in these battles! Let's go again! No hesitation!

 **Sora (surprised)** \- Huh? Oh, sure... Whatever you say.

The tone of change surprised the Darkus Brawler, who didn't expect his partner Bakugan to be this invigorated to keep battling even when it won one round.

 **Akira (annoyed)** \- No! No way! You may have won this round, but that's going to change! Gate Card, set!

The young Brawler threw a Gate Card on the left of Sora's Gate Card before he threw out another Subterra Bakugan to take Centipoid's place.

 **Akira** \- Bakugan, brawl! **Terrowclaw** , stand!

This time, a hermit crab-like Bakugan appeared to face Sora as it appeared on Akira's second Gate Card. Leonidas floated up to his human partner, asking to be sent out again like the first round.

 **04T**

 **Leonidas** \- Come on! Let's keep it rolling!

 **Sora (hesitant)** \- Huh? Oh... right! Bakugan, brawl! **Leonidas** , stand!

Once again, the dark dragon-like Bakugan roared at being called out before he glared at Terrowclaw. Akira winced before he stood his ground, not wanting to lose like before.

 **Baku-Pod** \- _New battle begins._

 **Akira** \- This time, for sure! Gate Card, open! **Triple Battle**!

The Command Card was activated, creating a barrier to protect Terrowclaw from any of Leonidas' attacks!

 **Akira (cocky)** \- Ha! You're in for it now, kid! With the Command Card, Triple Battle, I can stop this battle from going until one of us puts a third Bakugan into the game!

 **Sora** \- I wouldn't be so sure, Akira. Two against one doesn't sound fair on my side! Ability Card, activate! **Grand Down**!

With the Grand Down Ability Card, the barrier collapsed while the Command Card turned dark!

 **Akira (bewildered)** \- Huh!? No way! You shut down my Gate Card! Ah!

Akira could only watch as Terrowclaw was slammed away hard by Leonidas' tail, who then slashed at the hermit crab-like Bakugan several times! Terrowclaw shrieked in pain before it returned to its ball form.

At seeing his partner Bakugan strike hard like that, the new Brawler widened his eyes in surprise before he shook his head to see Leonidas returning to him in its ball form.

 **Akira : 1 Bakugan**

 **05T**

 **Akira (disbelief)** \- N-No! This can't be happening! How do you do that!? The first time we met, you couldn't do anything on your own! And now you've got that powerful Bakugan that's winning these matches for you!

 **Sora (unsure)** \- That's, well...

The Darkus Brawler didn't know how to answer that question since he didn't know why Leonidas was strong, or why he battled so aggressively. All he knew was, was that he was going to become stronger and achieve his goal.

And that goal would be to become a Battle Brawler like Dan and his friends. Shaking his head, Sora stopped speaking before he just glared at the young boy, who noticed his glare and silence.

 **Akira (irritated)** \- So you're not gonna talk, huh? Fine! That's fine by me! I'll beat you for sure this time! Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! **Fear Ripper** , stand!

As soon as Akira threw his last Gate Card, he sent out another Subterra Bakugan that looked like some sort of fierce shredder!

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Fear Ripper enters battle at 330 G's. No other data available._

 **06T**

 **Sora** \- Here we go again, Leonidas... You ready?

 **Leonidas (confident)** \- Do you really need to ask? I'm always ready for a battle! Let's go!

Returning to his ball form, Leonidas went into Sora's hand, allowing the new Darkus Brawler to send his new Guardian Bakugan out to Akira's Gate Card once more to face Fear Ripper.

 **Akira (serious)** \- It's time to make a comeback! Gate Card, open! See how you like the **Character** Card for Fear Ripper!

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Fear Ripper's Power Level increases, doubling to 660 G's._

 **Akira** \- And this! Ability Card, activate! **Slash Zero**! With this Ability Card, Fear Ripper gains another 80 G's! Making it a total of 740 G's! Try to beat that on for size!

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Power Level increases to 740 G's. Leonidas remains at 400 G's._

 **Sora** \- So this time, it's a Character Card and an Ability Card combo... Okay, then! Ability Card, activate! **Merge Shield**!

 **Akira (surprised)** \- What does that do!?

 **Sora (serious)** \- To be honest, I'm kinda surprised on how this Ability Card works! It can replicate the power level of Leonidas for how much power level your Bakugan gained during battle!

At his explanation, power surged through Leonidas' body as he roared in satisfaction, feeling so much energy pooling into him, thanks to the unintentional help from Akira and his combo.

 **Leonidas (satisfied)** \- Yes! This power... I can feel the energy pooling into my body!

 **Baku-Pod** \- _Leonidas' Power Level increases to 810 G's, due to Merge Shield's Effect._

 **Akira (shocked)** \- No way! 810 G's!?

As victory was approaching, Leonidas slashed at Fear Ripper multiple times, only for his strikes to be more harsh and aggressive! Sora noticed this as he watched Fear Ripper nearly get ripped apart before it turned back to its ball form.

As for Akira, he took little notice in what Leonidas did as the young boy fell to his knees in defeat.

 **Akira (disbelief)** \- This can't be...! I lost...

 **WIN: Sora**

* * *

With the battle over, time was restored to its original speed. Sora on the other hand, panted a little, since the battle went a little rough for him to take, especially since Leonidas fought a bit harshly.

 **Akira (frustrated)** \- No way... No way! This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! There's no way I could've lost to you! You just got lucky!

Standing up, Akira ran off, annoyed with the complete loss he had gained during the battle.

 **Akira (determined)** \- I'll beat you the next time we meet! You better be ready, kid!

With those words, Akira was out of the park, leaving Sora be, who frowned with the way the battle had ended. Taking Leonidas into his right hand, the Darkus Brawler frowned at his new Guardian Bakugan.

 **Sora (unsure)** \- Leonidas, don't you think that was a bit harsh on the Bakugan that you've fought? I hardly doubt any other Bakugan would end the battle that harshly.

 **Leonidas (unfazed)** \- Hmph... If you think that was rough, the you're too soft.

 **Sora (surprised)** \- Huh!? What's that supposed to mean?

 **Leonidas (serious)** \- You and your other human friends may not know this, but Bakugan is more than just a game! Once you throw me into battle, it's just combat! There is a winner and there is a loser! And no matter what happens, a Bakugan can't lower his or her guard down... Not even for a moment.

 **Sora (surprised)** \- Leonidas...

 **Leonidas (serious)** \- If you're seriously wanting to be partners with me, Sora... Then you have to learn when to accomplish things the hard way, no matter how soft you really want to be when facing your opponents in battle!

 **Sora (hesitant)** \- That's, well... I just... Ugh... So I can't even stay relaxed until the battle is completely over? Is that what you're saying?

 **Leonidas (serious)** \- Exactly... And if you make one mistake, that can be fatal and deep. That's why I fight hard and aggressively. I don't fear anyone! Not weak humans! Or any of the other Bakugan!

 **Sora (unsure)** \- Alright, fine... But, you really need to lighten up a little. Even if it's a tough battle you want, or when you don't want to lower your guard, you could try to tone your aggression down...

 **Leonidas (disappointed)** \- Hmph... As you say, let's battle...

With those words, Leonidas closed himself up, shaking for a moment. At Leonidas speaking to him like that, Sora began to think and wonder a little before he looked up at the clouds in the sky.

 **Sora (thinking)** \- Don't lower your guard down even a little, huh... I guess, that's one thing I could keep in my mind...

To be continued...

* * *

 **Sora's Ranking and Battles:**

 **Rank: 987**

 **W/L: 2/0**

 **Next chapters:**

 **Chapter 2: The Harsh Truth About Aggression**

 **Chapter 3: The Big Challenge From Tigrerra**

 **Chapter 4: The Dreadful Truth About Doom**

 **Chapter 5: The Strongest Masked Brawler Is!?**

 **Chapter 6: Challenge to be a Battle Brawler!**

 **Preview :**

 **Sora** \- Hey... This is Sora. Next time on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, after I met Leonidas and had my first battle with him together, I still feel like I need to learn a lot about him. His aggression and his way of battling... is it really that different of mine? Anyways, I meet up with Dan, along with his friends, Runo and Marucho. When those three meet Leonidas, this suddenly gets into an ugly turn. What's so different about Leonidas besides his battling style? Find out, on Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

 **Sora** \- Bakugan, brawl! Don't miss it!


	2. The Harsh Truth About Aggression

**Chapter 2: The Harsh Truth About Aggression**

 **Dan** \- My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere! At first, they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game! That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all! They were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan! And together with my friends, Runo! Marucho! Julie! Not to mention Mr. Hotshot himself, Shun! And Alice! We are...

 **Battle Brawlers** \- The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

 **Dan** \- Bakugan! One goal, two worlds!

* * *

 **(Bakugan Battle Brawlers Opening 1)**

 ** _What are ya gonna do?_**

(Dan enters into battle with the field revealing itself)

 ** _The odds are stacked against you,  
Back against the wall,_**

(Dan and Masquerade activate their cards to begin battle)

(The two brawlers launch their Bakugan against each other)

 ** _You gotta give it your all,_**

(Sora floats around with his Guardian Bakugan, Leonidas)

 ** _This is the final stand,_**

(Multiple scenes of different Bakugan appear)

 ** _The powers in your hand!_**

(Dan throws a Gate Card)

 ** _Two worlds collide,  
On the inside,_**

(Naga reaches for the Infinity and the Silent Core)

(Vestroia gets affected by Naga's actions)

(Drago uses Boosted Dragon on an opponent)

(Scenes of a masked brawler, and his Darkus Bakugan appear)

 ** _You got to fight for what's right,_**

(Sora raises an unknown card before the card glows)

 ** _Before it's gone,  
Gone, gone,  
This is Bakugan!_**

(Dan and Marucho prepares for battle while Sora and Runo waits)

(Dan returns a Bakugan with a grin)

(The title appears)

 **[Opening Ends]**

* * *

"Here's another one for you! Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**!" Sora shouted out as he activated **Leonidas'** Ability Card, allowing the dark dragon Bakugan to blast a Haos **Fear Ripper** away with his special move! The opponent yelled in surprise to see his Bakugan get defeated.

"Oh no! Oh no way!" The opponent gasped as he watched his final Bakugan turn back to ball form in defeat. Leonidas on the other hand, returned to Sora's hand, where the new Darkus Brawler smiled for his 4th consecutive victory in a row.

"Now that's what I call a perfect battle!" Sora called out as the field closed with Sora as the winner.

 **WIN: Sora**

* * *

"Aw man..." The opponent groaned as he fell onto his knees as Sora sighed in relief.

"That's another win down for us..." Sora said in relief while Leonidas opened up with a scoff. Ever since he and Sora battled together against Akira, who wanted to defeat Sora before Shuji did, the Darkus Brawler challenged a few more Brawlers to battle against.

Eventually, he earned his fourth consecutive win against a random Brawler that Leonidas somehow found to be... interesting. But when the battle went on, that interest faded away, now that the Darkus Bakugan realized on how "weak" this opponent was.

"How weak... Are all human Brawlers like this?" Leonidas grunted, earning a small glare from the Darkus Brawler.

"Tone it down, will you? He fought his hardest and that's what matters!" Sora snapped lightly before he turned back to his opponent, who got up with a pout.

"I can't believe I lost! That dragon of yours really has a nasty attitude in battle! What's with that Bakugan of yours, anyway!? I've never seen it before!" The defeated Brawler snapped before Sora blinked in surprise.

"Well, uh... To be honest, I don't know everything about my partner too, since it's only been a day since I first met him." Sora explained, causing the defeated Brawler to fold his arms and pout again.

"Whatever... But the next time we battle, you're going down! You just got lucky because of that nasty Bakugan of yours!" The opponent called out as he ran off, annoying Leonidas, who was rather annoyed for being called nasty.

"How pathetic... That human kid calls me nasty when he was acting rather arrogant during our battle." Leonidas grunted to himself, causing Sora to sweat drop from the tone his new partner was giving off.

"And I just said to tone it down..." Sora groaned silently before he started to exit out of the park.

* * *

 **Later...**

"Right now, we're at Rank 897... And before we battled Akira, we were at Rank 965. Not a bad start, if I say so myself." Sora said calmly before Leonidas scoffed and turned away, annoyed with the ranking Sora says that they were in.

"897? Please... With the power I'm displaying, we should at least be at the tens digit! We're going to have to battle a lot if we're going to reach the top and become the strongest. Weak humans and their weak Bakugan..." Leonidas grunted angrily.

Sora narrowed his eyes at the Darkus Bakugan for the attitude he was giving off before he asked.

"Uh, are you referring to me too when you said weak humans? Because if you were, then I don't appreciate it. There are strong opponents for us to face too, like Runo and Marucho!" Sora said sternly. Leonidas turned to his Brawler on his left shoulder before he grumbled.

"I wasn't referring to you, Sora... I only say this because they're just names to me! I will crush them!" Leonidas snapped, catching Sora's attention before he asked again with a frown. He wasn't liking this conversation slowly.

"Uh, what's the deal? You sound angry." Sora said in concern. The Darkus Bakugan denied his human partner before he spoke again.

"I'm not angry, I just don't fear weak humans." Leonidas said bluntly, causing Sora to frown again with the tone his partner was giving off.

"Don't freak me out! It's like you hate every Bakugan or something! Lighten up, will you?" Sora requested, earning a "Hmph" from the Darkus Bakugan.

"As they say... Let's battle." Leonidas said before he turned into his ball form. The Darkus Brawler could only watch his Bakugan ignore his words as he sighed, before he face-palmed. He was going to have to find a way to get Leonidas to lighten up.

* * *

 **At Sora's home...**

The Darkus Brawler fell onto his bed before he sighed. Today was a bit tiring, since he battled two Brawlers in one day. Not only that, he had to put up with Leonidas' aggression of ordering Sora to train hard as Bakugan weren't the only ones that should train.

 _"If you're going to be a good partner to battle alongside me, you're going to need to train, too! No hesitation or complaining!"_

Leonidas' stern words was drilled into the timid Brawler's mind as he looked towards his desk to see Leonidas still in his ball form.

 _"Looks like I'm not the only one who was wiped out from all the training I had to put up with, while he only got to yell at me like a gym teacher..."_ Sora thought before he lied onto his pillow. But before he could sleep, there was beeping noise coming from his laptop.

Getting out of his bed in annoyance, the Darkus Brawler walked up to his desk and accepted the call he was getting, only to see Dan's face on the screen, with Drago at his side!

 _"Whoa, it got through! Hey, kid!"_ Dan called out, surprising Sora as he nearly fell back with a yelp.

"WHOA! What the...!? Dan!? How did you...!?" Sora exclaimed as the Pyrus Brawler laughed sheepishly before he rubbed the back of his head apologetically.

 _"Ha ha! Sorry! Sorry! But man, the look on your face was priceless! I managed to find you by your ranking online, which allowed me to contact you with the internet! I really surprised you there, didn't I?"_ Dan asked while he snickered a little.

"Yes, you did... And I did not appreciate that just now, Dan..." Sora groaned as he held his head, as he took a bump on the floor with his head. Managing to get onto his chair, he recovered from the surprise and made his question.

"So, why are you calling me now, Dan?" Sora asked as Dan responded with a sheepish expression.

 _"Well, to tell you the truth, Drago kind of reminded me that I never got your name after I helped you defeat Shuji in battle once. But when I saw your ranking, I learned who you were. It's Sora, right? Sora Minazuki?"_ Dan asked.

"Yes, that's right. Is that... the only reason you called, though? Just to learn my name and know who I am? You saw who I was, battling as a newbie to Bakugan and having hesitation during battle." Sora said, reminding Dan of how "well" he battled the first time.

 _"Well, not really... I contacted you because I heard of some kids saying that there was a new Darkus Brawler that had a wicked, but aggressive Bakugan! I'm guessing that was you? They say it was a newbie player who had that Bakugan!"_ Dan explained.

Sora sweat dropped at this before he scratched the back of his head with a sigh.

"So word is spreading out already... I didn't think it would be that fast." Sora groaned, which Dan heard.

 _"So it IS true..."_ Dan breathed out as Drago spoke up.

 _"May I ask who is it that you have as your partner, Sora? I'd like to see who he is, since I might know who this aggressive Bakugan is."_ Drago asked, before Leonidas rolled up to see who was contacting his human partner.

"That would be me, Pyrus Dragonoid." Leonidas said in an annoyed tone as Drago tensed.

 _"Who are you...? I've never seen a Darkus Bakugan like you before! Not even in Vestroia!"_ Drago asked in a surprised tone. Both Dan and Sora blinked in surprise as Leonidas turned away, looking uninterested in answering the question.

"Do I really need to say? I'm just the type of Bakugan that enjoys battling against strong opponents! The weak ones mean nothing to me!" Leonidas said bluntly, surprising Dan as he sweat dropped at the rude attitude Leonidas was giving off.

 _"Dang... That's kind of rude, you know that? He just asked who you are and you just brush Drago off? Not the nice kind, are ya?"_ Dan asked, earning a grunt from the Darkus Bakugan. Sora gave a sheepish smile before he tried to cover for his partner.

"He's just... new here, so he isn't used to humans yet. I hope you can understand that. It was like that for Drago, right?" Sora asked. Drago tensed again before he grumbled as the Pyrus Brawler chuckled, remembering when he first met his Guardian Bakugan.

 _"Oh yeah... The first time I met Drago, he was all grumpy and stubborn! He even tried to battle on his own when I fought against Shuji before battling against Masquerade!"_ Dan exclaimed before Drago turned to his human partner.

 _"It's like I told you many times, Daniel! Before you and the others understood the true story about us Bakugan, you thought all of this as a game! You have yourself to blame for trying to use me as a toy the first time!"_ Drago snapped back.

 _"Aw, come on, Drago! How many times do I have to tell you!? We didn't know that Bakugan was more than just a game! Chill out, would ya?"_ Dan retorted back, causing the Pyrus Bakugan to scoff as he turned away from his human partner.

Seeing the argument once more caused Sora to sweat drop until Dan got back into the conversation that he and Sora was in before Drago lashed out at him a little.

 _"Anyways... I was hoping if I could see you tomorrow? Runo and Marucho said they wanted to come and see Leonidas for themselves. Heck, I think even Tigrerra and Preyas are wanting to see who your partner is, too!"_ Dan explained.

The news caught the Darkus Brawler by surprise as he knew the Pyrus Brawler meant his two friends, one as the Haos Brawler, and the other being an Aquos Brawler. The Darkus Brawler gave a timid smile before he nodded back slowly.

"Runo and Marucho, huh? It'd be great to meet them, too. So when during tomorrow?" Sora asked, allowing Dan to respond back.

 _"Oh, right! Tomorrow at noon, 1'o clock! See you there?"_ Dan asked, earning a nod from the Darkus Brawler.

"Yeah... I'll see you there tomorrow." Sora said, causing Dan to nod back before he turned the call off. As he did so, he heard another grunt from his new Guardian Bakugan.

"What a joke... Another weak human and his Bakugan. What was that Dragonoid thinking, teaming up with a human like the one you just spoke to?" Leonidas asked, expressing his annoyance of the Pyrus Brawler.

"Dan's not a weak human, Leonidas. Seriously... You need to tone down that anger of yours. He's a better Brawler than I am. In fact, maybe he could even beat us with just one arm of his, along with Drago." Sora said bluntly, earning a look from the Darkus Bakugan.

"What!? You're saying that I'm no better than that Dragonoid!?" Leonidas snapped at Sora, before the Darkus Brawler retorted back.

"You may be strong with power, but your attitude is a bit dark unlike how Drago speaks! You talk as if you're completely different from the other Bakugan from Vestroia!" Sora said seriously, causing Leonidas to tense a little before the Bakugan scoffed.

"You're right about that..." Leonidas said to himself, causing Sora to blink in confusion as he didn't hear what his Bakugan said just now.

"Sorry...?" Sora asked, before his Guardian Bakugan turned his back on him.

"Nothing..." Leonidas said quickly before he turned back into his ball form. With that being done, the Darkus Bakugan remained quiet, causing Sora to raise an eyebrow at his new Guardian Bakugan.

 _"What did he say just now? He reacted a little when I told he acted like a different Bakugan... Could that be what he was saying?"_ Sora thought before he turned off the lights to get some sleep. Getting on the bed, he lied down, awaiting for the morning sun to come tomorrow.

 **The next day...**

Sora groaned a little before he slowly opened his eyes to see the daylight shining through his window.

"W-What...? What time is it...?" Sora groaned before he checked his clock to see that it was...

"WHAT!? 12'o clock!? No way... I overslept!" Sora gasped as he quickly jumped out of bed before heading to the bathroom to wash up and change into his original outdoor outfit. His sudden outburst surprised Leonidas a bit as the Darkus Bakugan opened up.

"What... What's wrong?" Leonidas asked, as he was stunned with the yell his human partner gave off.

"I woke up late! Dan's not going to be happy if I'm late to our meeting at the park!" Sora groaned as he quickly changed into his outdoor clothes, causing Leonidas to shake his head with a sigh.

"Humans... How pathetic." Leonidas grunted to himself, speaking low enough to not let his human partner hear him.

 **Later, at the road to the park...**

"Huff... Huff... I'm almost there! I'm almost... there!" Sora panted as he was near the park, where Dan would be waiting for him. Leonidas struggled to remain on Sora's shoulder, due to his human partner running instead of walking.

"Slow down, Sora! You keep running at this rate, and then I'm going to fall off later!" Leonidas snapped, only for Sora to fire back at his Guardian Bakugan.

"If that does happen, then I'm sorry! But right now, I have to run since I only have five minutes left before I'm late!" Sora panted as he kept up the pace, heading to where the fountain would be at the park.

 **Meanwhile, at the park...**

"So Dan... You sure he agreed to come here? It's almost 1'o clock!" The blue-haired girl asked with a stern look on her face.

"C'mon, Runo... I'm sure of it! This guy can help us beat Masquerade and his crooks! Besides, none of us use a Darkus Bakugan in battle, right?" Dan asked, causing a young boy with blonde hair and glasses to think about their situation.

"I kind of agree, Dan... But are you sure? I checked his ranking when you mentioned his name to us, and he's not really in a good place. And that could only mean he hasn't played Bakugan for a long time." The short boy said reluctantly.

"Yeah! This kid sounds like a total newbie in my book! He wouldn't even last five minutes against me! Or even a minute!" An Aquos Bakugan explained while he sat on the short boy's left shoulder.

"Underestimating someone just because of their low ranking doesn't mean they're not good, Preyas. You'd do well to remember that, especially since from what I heard from Dan and Marucho, you underestimated those girls in battle once." A Haos Bakugan scolded sternly.

The Aquos Bakugan, now known as Preyas, sweat dropped at the blunt words the Haos Bakugan was giving him. With those words, it caused him to recall when he battled against Jenny and Jewls with Dan, Marucho, and Drago by his side. as he pouted in annoyance.

"Ugh... Alright, fine! That was my mistake on my part, but at least I won in those battles!" Preyas protested, causing the short boy, now known as Marucho to calm his Guardian Bakugan down before it got even worse.

"Calm down, Preyas. We know that you won those battles... even though you got yourself in a tight situation." Marucho said, before he spoke the last parts bluntly.

"Hey! Just whose side are you on, Marucho! I'm your Bakugan, for crying out loud!" Preyas complained, causing Dan, Runo, and Marucho to all chuckle at the tone the Aquos Bakugan was giving off.

"Anyways... what was that Bakugan called again, Dan? The one that the new kid has?" Runo asked, causing Dan to think before he came to a realization.

"If I remember correctly... Sora had this Bakugan named Leonidas. Do you two know anything about this?" Dan asked, causing the others to shake their heads in denial.

"No, I don't. I've never heard of a Bakugan like that before. That's why I wanted to know. Even Tigrerra doesn't know what kind of Bakugan this kid had..." Runo said before her Guardian Bakugan spoke up affirmatively.

"Indeed. Despite of me spending most of my time at the Haos World at Vestroia, I've never heard of such Bakugan before. I suspect that even you don't know who this Leonidas is, don't you, Preyas?" Tigrerra asked.

"Of course not! That name sounds kinda scary, if you ask me." Preyas added before Dan frowned.

"Seriously...? Come to think of it, there were other players that have never seen a Bakugan like Leonidas before, until the other players have seen it in action." Dan said as he folded his arms.

"Then that must mean that this Leonidas must've come differently than how all the other Bakugan appeared here on Earth." Marucho said, catching both Dan and Runo by surprise. The three Guardian Bakugan listened as well, as the Aquos Brawler spoke.

"You see, based on my analysis from yesterday with all the Brawlers commenting on his battling abilities and his attitude in combat, I can conclude that this Leonidas arrived on Earth at a different time than the others." Marucho continued on.

"And...? What does that have to do with Sora's Bakugan?" Dan asked, before he allowed Marucho to continue on.

"Well... Like I said before, with the analysis I did yesterday from how two Bakugan players battled against Sora and Leonidas, it made me start to think on why his appearance on Earth was delayed..." Marucho continued on before he reached a conclusion.

"Perhaps... Maybe he's secretly planning something beyond just Bakugan battles?" Marucho asked, causing Dan to widen his eyes in surprise. Drago tensed on this while Runo bit her lips, understanding a little from what her short friend was saying.

Tigrerra and Preyas said nothing else, as they seemed to get the point from what the Aquos Brawler was saying. But one person retorted to those words, making a surprising entrance in the process.

"Wait a sec, what's that supposed to mean!? What makes you say that?" Sora called out. Hearing a new voice, the three Brawlers and their Bakugan all turned to see Sora standing not too far from them with Leonidas on his shoulder.

"Sora! And Leonidas?" Dan blurted out in surprise. Marucho and Runo both widened their eyes as they recognized the name from what the Pyrus Brawler had just said as they looked to see Sora glaring at them!

"You may be right with the fact that Leonidas did come later than how all the other Bakugan did, but that doesn't give you the right to conclude that he's an evil Bakugan!" Sora said, annoyed with how Marucho seemingly accused Leonidas of one.

"N-No! I didn't mean to say that Leonidas was a bad guy..." Marucho said, trying to calm the Darkus Brawler down.

"Well, it sounds to me like you were, saying that he was plotting something beyond Bakugan battles. When I met Leonidas for the first time, all it sounded to me was that he just wanted to battle and to prove his strength to all Bakugan around him! What's wrong with that!?" Sora said loudly.

"Dude, chill! No one is saying that wanting to become the strongest Bakugan is a bad thing! Sora may be right about something, Marucho... It could be just your overreactive imagination!" Dan said, while Runo spoke differently.

"Actually... I'm with Marucho on this one. I also checked the net online... It kinda sounded weird that many Bakugan players were saying on how weird and aggressive your Bakugan was..." Runo said softly, earning a surprised look from both Dan and Sora.

"What is it that you're trying to say...?" Sora asked, his tone sounding a bit worried.

"What I'm saying is, is that maybe you should try and find a different partner. For a Bakugan like Leonidas to be so aggressive, I just don't think he would match with you..." Runo explained, earning a glare from the Darkus Brawler.

"Oh really? You could be just saying that because you're jealous from the power that Leonidas has, unlike Tigrerra!" Sora retorted back, irritating Runo a little before she stood up for her Guardian Bakugan.

"Hey, kid! You leave Tigrerra alone! She has nothing to do with this!" Runo snapped back, causing Marucho and Dan to get in between them.

"Calm down, Runo! We're getting nowhere by arguing with each other!" Marucho pleaded, as he pushed the Haos Brawler back a little.

"You calm down too, Sora. We don't want any trouble, okay?" Dan asked, allowing the two Brawlers to calm down a little before they glared at each other.

"How do you expect me to calm down when your friends could be accusing that Leonidas is a dangerous Bakugan? Would you calm down when your friends accuse Drago of being a bad Bakugan?" Sora asked, catching Dan off guard.

Drago tensed at this before the Pyrus Brawler frowned, as he began to understand a little from what the Darkus Brawler was saying.

"I get what you're saying, but..." Dan started to say until familiar voices interrupted them!

"There they are! They're all together! If you want to beat both of them, now's the time!" Akira's voice called out. The four Brawlers all turned to see who was coming to them, only for the party crashers to be Shuji and Akira!

"Great... Not you guys again!" Dan groaned as Marucho walked up.

"Shuji and Akira... They're the guys that keep wanting to battle you, right Dan?" Marucho asked, earning a nod from the Pyrus Brawler.

"Yeah, that's right. Man... can't you two ever learn when to give up? No matter how many times you guys come to me, the results will always stay the same!" Dan protested, annoyed with the duo's persistence.

"Oh, don't worry. It's not really you we're after, but the newbie that you helped in our first battle together!" Shuji said as he pointed at Sora, who blinked in surprise, causing Runo to frown at the bully.

"What!? So it's not Dan but the new kid this time!? What are you, a couple of bullies?" Runo asked in annoyance, sounding as if she had forgotten about the argument she had with Sora a minute ago.

"Bullies? I think you're getting the wrong there here, girly. All we want is a rematch from that kid! And we're gonna get it, no matter what! Right, Akira?" Shuji asked, turning to his little brother.

"That's right, Shuji! And we're not gonna lose this time!" Akira said, feeling determined to win today.

The Darkus Brawler sighed before he glanced at his Guardian Bakugan.

"Well, Leonidas... You ready for another battle?" Sora asked, causing the Darkus Bakugan to turn to him with a grunt.

"I'm always ready. I can take the two of them on myself if I have to!" Leonidas said bravely before he turned to the two arrogant Brawlers. Runo and Marucho both turned to hear Leonidas speak, before Dan stepped up.

"Whoa, hold on there, kid. They may not be so tough, but when they're together, they can be strong together! Let me join in on this battle!" Dan said, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise before he smiled.

"S-Sure. Thanks." Sora said gratefully while Leonidas just huffed. The two arrogant Brawlers took out their Field Cards, seeing that their opponents were ready to brawl.

"Heh... That's more like it. Get ready! Because we're going to beat you down! Let's go, Akira!" Shuji called out.

"That's right, Shuji!" Akira exclaimed as Runo and Marucho both blinked together.

"Should we help them battle or just watch them?" Marucho asked worriedly.

"Oh, don't bother! I'm sure those two have each other's backs! Although, I am curious to see how the kid's Bakugan really battles. Don't you, Tigrerra?" Runo said, before she asked her Guardian Bakugan.

"Indeed. I'd like to see for myself for how long Leonidas can be capable in battle." Tigrerra agreed, causing Preyas to sweat drop at the Haos Bakugan.

"You sure can be blunt sometimes, you know that? What do you say, Marucho?" Preyas asked, before he noticed the Aquos Brawler taking out his Field Card.

"Well, Runo and Tigrerra are right about one thing. I want to see how Leonidas really battles. Don't you, Preyas?" Marucho asked, making the Aquos Bakugan wince a little.

"I-I guess so... Although, it's going to be scary." Preyas admitted as everyone got ready to open the field.

"Field, Open!"

The Attribute Hexagon revealed itself, with time slowing down, signaling that a Bakugan Battle was about to begin. But it wasn't going to be an ordinary Bakugan battle for Sora.

* * *

 **Shuji and Akira VS Sora and Dan**

The Darkus Brawler faced his two opponents with Dan at his side, while Runo and Marucho watched from behind them, with their Guardian Bakugan at their sides.

"Gate Card, set!"

The four players threw their Gate Cards down onto the battlefield, making the cards enlarge themselves and making a big room for the four battlers to battle in!

 **01T**

"Alright, kid! You make the first move!" Dan called out, causing Sora to blink before he nodded reluctantly. At that moment, Leonidas floated up to his human partner, demanding to be a part in the battle.

"Put me in! I'll put those weak humans in their place!" Leonidas demanded aggressively, shocking Sora and Dan while Drago tried to calm the Darkus Bakugan down.

"Don't be so hasty, Leonidas! Even if you may be one of the strong Bakugan, that doesn't mean you should underestimate your opponents just because they look weak to you!" Drago advised sternly.

"Yeah! What Drago said! I know I underestimated my opponents, which caused me to get creamed once!" Dan said, earning a scoff from the Darkus Bakugan.

"If you think you can lecture me along with your human battler, then forget it! I'll fight my own battles! You just need to stay out of my way! Sora!" Leonidas called out, startling Sora for a moment before the Darkus Brawler agreed.

"Oh... Right. Gate Card, set!" Sora called out as he sent another Gate Card, setting it right next to Akira's Gate Card! Then, at his Guardian Bakugan's request, the Darkus Brawler was ready to brawl.

"Bakugan, brawl! **Leonidas** , stand!" Sora shouted out. Once the Darkus Bakugan rolled onto Sora's second Gate Card, he flew up, before revealing him as he roared for being sent out in battle!

"Ha! Now that's more like it!" Leonidas shouted, sounding content on being free in the battlefield.

"Whoa... Talk about big and freaky!" Dan exclaimed as he checked his Baku-Pod.

 _"Battle has commenced. Darkus Leonidas' Power Level at 400 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, catching the Pyrus Brawler by surprise.

"Whoa! 400 G's!? That's one wicked Bakugan with a high power, alright!" Dan commented as Drago glared at the Darkus Bakugan, who looked like he was more than ready to brawl.

"Unreal..." Marucho said as Shuji took his turn.

 **02T**

"Ha! That big dragon Bakugan of yours doesn't scare me! Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand! Go, Subterra **Terrowclaw**!" Shuji called out, as he sent his Subterra Bakugan to his Gate Card, rather than battling against Leonidas!

"Foolish humans... You'd rather run than fight?" Leonidas asked, annoyed with no battling as Sora frowned. His new Guardian Bakugan was showing high aggression, especially since Shuji chose not to battle yet.

 **03T**

"Guess it's my turn, then! Bakugan, brawl! Pyrus **Gargonoid** , stand!" Dan called out. The gargoyle-like Bakugan appeared, landing on the Pyrus Brawler's Gate Card. It roared at being sent out as Runo and Marucho watched carefully.

"No one is battling yet... Is it gonna happen with Akira's turn?" Marucho asked, as Preyas spoke up.

"Well, one of them has to battle! I mean, if they just keep throwing Bakugan at different cards, then this is going to get nowhere!" Preyas pointed out, causing Akira to smirk confidently.

 **04T**

"So, you want a real battle happening? Allow me to start the real Bakugan battle, then! Bakugan, brawl! Subterra **Stinglash** , stand!" Akira shouted out, as he sent out a scorpion-like Bakugan to face against... Leonidas!

"Whoa! He's coming after you, Sora! Brace yourself!" Dan called out, earning a nod from the Darkus Brawler.

"I know... Gate Card, open!" Sora called out. The Darkus Reactor Gate Card opened, giving Leonidas an extra boost!

 _"Power Level increased. Leonidas now at 450 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, until Akira countered with an Ability!

"That won't save you! Ability Card, activate! **Spirit Canyon**! With this Ability, not only does it nullify your Gate Card, but my Stinglash also gets a power boost of 150 G's!" Akira explained as the Gate Card blackened.

 _"Leonidas' Power Level returns to 400 G's. Stinglash's Power Level increases to 470 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed.

"Stinglash is even stronger than Leonidas now!" Runo pointed out as she noticed the power difference. The Darkus Brawler also saw it before he quickly countered with his Ability Card.

"No! Ability Card, activate! **Wall Burst**!" Sora called out as he threw the card. Once it glowed, the Ability Card made Stinglash a bit weaker, causing it to cry out in anger!

 _"100 G's decreased. Stinglash is now at 370 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Akira exclaimed as he watched Leonidas slash at Stinglash mercilessly!

"Take this!" Leonidas roared as Stinglash was slashed into the air! Dan, Runo, and Marucho all watched in shock to see Leonidas fight like this before the opponent's Bakugan returned to its ball form.

 **Akira: 2 Bakugan**

"Nuts!" Akira could only say as Leonidas went back to Sora's hand.

 **05T**

"Talk about an overkill! Don't you think that was a bit much?" Dan asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to think before he responded back with a frown.

"I do... but that doesn't seem to be the case for Leonidas. But still, even if he does fight like that, it just shows on how determined he is to win, right?" Sora asked, causing Drago to float up.

"This isn't just about winning. It's about battling in the right way!" Drago argued, only to get a scoff from the Darkus Bakugan.

"This is battling in the right way, Dragonoid! You may think your naive way of battling is the right way, but with the way I fight, this is how a Bakugan really should fight!" Leonidas snapped, causing Drago to growl at him.

"What did you say!?" Drago snapped, causing the Pyrus Brawler to sweat drop at the argument his Guardian Bakugan was doing before Shuji interrupted the argument.

"Hey, kid! It's your move! Or are you just gonna stand there like a pale statue?" Shuji taunted while smirking. Sora looked back at his opponent before he glanced back at Leonidas.

"...Bakugan, brawl!" Sora called out as he sent another Bakugan in battle, surprising Leonidas, as the Guardian Bakugan noticed his human partner using another Bakugan besides him to fight in the battle!

"What... Sora!?" Leonidas yelled out in surprise.

"Darkus **Warius** , stand!" Sora shouted out, as a club warrior Bakugan let out a battle cry at being sent out on Sora's Gate Card. Leonidas watched in disbelief as the Darkus Brawler bit his lips.

"Sorry, Leonidas... But I can't just keep using you in battles like this." Sora said apologetically, earning an annoyed grunt from the Darkus Bakugan.

 **06T**

"Gate Card, set!" Shuji's called out as he threw another Gate Card next to Dan's Gate Card before he pulled out another Subterra Bakugan to use in battle.

"Ready or not, here I come! Bakugan, brawl! **Mantris** , stand!" Shuji called out, before a mantis-like Bakugan hissed at being sent to Shuji's second Gate Card.

"If you're not gonna battle first, kid... Then, I'll make you battle! Ability Card, activate! **Marionette**!" Shuji called out before the Ability Card allowed Mantris to send electricity towards Warius, who grunted in pain!

"Oh no!" Runo gasped as she and Marucho watched Warius get dragged to where Mantris was standing at!

"No! Warius!" Sora gasped as the Gate Card opened, revealing a Command Card!

"Now this is gonna be sweet! With the Command Card, **Quartet Battle** , I can allow two more Bakugan to be sent out! It's one of your Bakugan along with one of Akira's!" Shuji declared.

At those words, another Bakugan besides Leonidas was dragged out with one of Akira's Bakugan being sent out to battle!

"Ah! No! **Falconeer**!" Sora cried out. The Darkus Brawler could only watch in shock to see his falcon-like Bakugan appearing to battle alongside with the warrior-like Bakugan. For Akira, the Subterra **Centipoid** appeared to battle alongside with Shuji's Mantris.

 _"Centipoid and Falconeer enters battle. Centipoid and Mantris combine together 620 G's. Falconeer and Warius combine together 610 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing Dan to frown with the condition Sora and his Bakugan were at.

"This bad! Their Bakugan are 10 G's higher than yours!" Dan exclaimed as he and the others watched Mantris and Centipoid slash at the two Darkus Bakugan, causing the two of them to be both defeated in battle!

The two went back to their ball forms, before landing on the ground in defeat. The Darkus Brawler could only watch in defeat before he looked up at Centipoid and Mantris returning to their owners.

"HAH! You're toast, kid! Toast, for real!" Shuji taunted arrogantly.

 **Sora: 1 Bakugan**

"They took out two Bakugan at once... Unreal. By using the Marionette Ability Card with the Quartet Battle combo, Shuji and Akira were able to pull off a double win, defeating both of Sora's Bakugan at once!" Marucho commented dryly.

"And now the new kid only has that scary Bakugan left!" Preyas added as Sora gritted his teeth.

 **07T**

"Argh! Snap! This battle isn't over yet, you two! Gate Card, set!" Dan snapped as he threw his second Gate Card, next to where Gargonoid stood.

"Bakugan, brawl! Falconeer, stand!" Dan called out as the Pyrus falcon-like Bakugan appeared on the Gate Card, before Akira made his move!

 **08T**

"Now it's your turn to lose, Danny-boy! Bakugan, brawl! Centipoid, stand!" Akira called out. The Subterra centipede-like Bakugan faced against Gargonoid, who roared at the opponent that it was going to face!

 _"Centipoid, 320. Gargonoid at 320 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed.

"Don't think this is going to be easy, Akira! Gate Card, open!" Dan shouted out before the Gate Card opened, revealing a Pyrus Reactor Gate Card.

 _"Gargonoid's Power Level increases to 420 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed.

"Nice try, Danny-boy! Ability Card, activate! **Attractor**!" Akira called out, before he revealed his second Ability Card. As soon as it was activated, a crack appeared right under Terrowclaw, who fell on it!

As soon as it did, it appeared right onto where Dan and Akira's Bakugan were going against each other.

"No way! That's two against one!" Dan exclaimed as Terrowclaw and Centipoid both slashed at Gargonoid, who roared in pain at the double slash it had taken! Returning to its ball form in defeat, Dan was now left with two Bakugan.

 **Dan: 2 Bakugan**

 **09T**

"Argh!" Dan grunted as Sora watched the Pyrus Brawler glare at the two arrogant opponents. Leonidas floated up to his human partner, before he spoke his words.

"Hmph... Now do you see why not choosing me was your big mistake?" Leonidas asked bluntly, causing Sora to look back at him before the Darkus Brawler sighed.

"Yeah... I can see what you mean now. So, you think you can win this one?" Sora asked, earning a grunt from the Guardian Bakugan.

"Do I really need to say? Those arrogant humans need a lesson that they could never forget." Leonidas said before he curled up, allowing Sora to throw him into his Gate Card.

"Right... Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora shouted out, as his Guardian Bakugan roared at being sent out at the Darkus Brawler's first Gate Card.

 **10T**

"Great... This big Bakugan of yours is so annoying! Bakugan, brawl! Mantris, stand!" Shuji shouted out as his mantis-like Bakugan appeared to take on Leonidas! And with an Ability Card at hand, Shuji knew what he had to do next.

"Ability Card, activate! **Slice Cutter**!" Shuji yelled as he threw the Ability Card onto his Subterra Bakugan. At the activation, Mantris yelled loudly before it shot a cross energy to where Leonidas was!

"That's the last thing I need... Gate Card, open!" Sora yelled as the Darkus Reactor Gate Card opened up. The Slice Cutter made a little slice onto the Darkus Bakugan, but it wasn't fatal, thanks to the Darkus Reactor Card.

 _"Leonidas' Power Level increases to 550 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, surprising Shuji as he watched Mantris get slammed away by Leonidas' tail! The mantis-like Bakugan roared in pain before it returned to its ball form in defeat.

 **Shuji: 2 Bakugan**

"H-Huh!? No way... This... This can't be happening!" Shuji exclaimed before Runo blinked in amazement.

"Wow... The kid is making a comeback over there!" Runo exclaimed.

"Yes, that's true... But that doesn't mean the battle is over yet! I think those two are just getting started, judging by the looks on their faces..." Marucho added before Dan took his turn.

 **11T**

"Ha! Let's keep rolling, kid! Hey, Drago! You ready to get in there?" Dan called out, causing the Pyrus Bakugan to turn to his human partner, before it gave a small nod to him.

"I'm ready!" Drago said before Dan threw him into the game.

"Turn it on! Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! Drago, stand!" Dan called out, as he threw the Gate Card next to Shuji's first Gate Card before sending his Guardian Bakugan out to fight against the two bullies, as Akira gritted his teeth.

 **12T**

"This is gonna get messy! Bakugan, brawl! Centipoid, stand!" Akira shouted out before he sent Centipoid to face Dan's Falconeer.

"Ability Card, activate! **Desert** **Thunder**!" Akira called before the Ability Card gave an extra Earth boost to the centipede-like Bakugan, raising its Power Level to 420 G's. But Dan was ready before he activated his Gate Card.

"Turn up the heat, Falconeer! Gate Card, open! **Character**!" Dan called out before the Gate Card opened, doubling Falconeer's power!

 _"Falconeer's Power Level doubles to 640 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed before Falconeer slashed Centipoid away, marking its defeat!

 **Akira: 1 Bakugan**

"How did... you do that?" Akira asked, baffled with his loss before Dan returned Falconeer back to his hand.

"Ha! Done like dinner!" Dan exclaimed before Sora smiled, as he took his turn to play.

 **13T**

"We're really making a comeback... Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora called out before he sent Leonidas to Shuji's first Gate Card, where Terrowclaw once stood, before the big brother decided to come in.

 **14T**

"You're gonna get it now, kid! Bakugan, brawl! Terrowclaw, stand!" Shuji shouted out before he ordered the Gate Card to open, revealing a Terrowclaw Character Card.

 _"Terrowclaw's Power Level doubles to 580 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed.

"That Power Level is high... I have to do something! Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**!" Sora shouted out before he activated Leonidas' signature Ability Card, which poured energy into the aggressive Bakugan.

 _"Leonidas' Power Level increases to 600 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, surprising Runo as she commented on the power Leonidas was getting.

"That Bakugan's Power Level is really spiking up!" Runo exclaimed as Tigrerra watched carefully, before Leonidas blasted his dark energy to send Terrowclaw out of the game!

 **Shuji: 1 Bakugan**

 **15T**

"Alright! Four down, two to go! Bakugan, brawl! Falconeer, stand!" Dan called out before he sent Falconeer to where Akira's first Gate Card was still waiting to be played.

 **16T**

"Just because you creeps have more Bakugan than us, doesn't mean you're going to win! Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!" Akira shouted out as he sent a Subterra **Juggernoid** to face Drago, who was more than ready to brawl.

"Oh we will win! Gate Card, open! **Quartet Battle**!" Dan shouted out. Both bullies widened their eyes in surprise to see the Command Card opening! At the Command Card's effect, both Sora and Shuji could only watch as their last Bakugan was sent to join in the battle.

Leonidas roared at being sent out again while Shuji's Subterra **Fear Ripper** joined Juggernoid to face the two dragons.

"Don't get in my way, Dragonoid! I can handle the both of them myself!" Leonidas demanded aggressively.

"Your overconfidence can be your downfall, Leonidas! No Bakugan should be underestimated!" Drago retorted angrily as Shuji started to boost their power.

"This isn't over yet, boys! Ability Card, activate! **Desert Thunder**!" Shuji shouted as he threw the Ability Card to give Fear Ripper an extra boost of power.

 _"Earth Power activated. Fear Ripper's Power Level increases to 420 G's. The total power of the Subterra Team now at 760 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing Sora to widen his eyes at the total power.

"That's a huge amount of power! What do we do, Dan?" Sora asked, before he turned to the Pyrus Brawler.

"HA! That's nothing! We make a countermove, Sora! That's how! Ability Card, activate! **Boosted Dragon**!" Dan called before the Ability Card caused Drago to glow and be surrounded with fire!

 _"Drago's Power Level increased to 440 G's. Drago and Leonidas together increase the total power of 840 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing the bullies to take a step back in surprise.

"Oh man! This is bad!" Akira exclaimed as Shuji began to stutter in fear.

"Y-You can say that again...!" Shuji gulped as Sora took out his last Ability Card. Looking up at Leonidas, who looked even more aggressive than before, the Darkus Brawler narrowed his eyes before he began his last move.

"I'm probably gonna regret this... Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**!" Sora called out. The signature Ability Card activated once again, bringing the Darkus Bakugan even more power!

 _"Leonidas' Power Level increases to 600 G's. The total Power Level increases to 1040 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing Runo and Marucho to both watch in shock and amazement.

"Unreal...!" Marucho exclaimed.

"Just look at this power...!" Runo added as Tigrerra and Preyas both watched in shock.

At their power increasing, both Drago and Leonidas flew up and launched their special attacks, blasting both Subterra Bakugan away and into the air! Both brothers yelled in dismay as they watched their Bakugan get defeated by the double attacks!

"This... can't be happening!" Shuji exclaimed in disbelief.

"We lost..." Akira finished before the field closed, with the results of Sora and Dan's victory together.

 **WIN: Sora and Dan**

* * *

The time resumed its course as the two bullies were sitting on the ground together, groaning for the double loss they gained from their "rivals".

"This can't be! This has to be a dream! There's no way we could've lost against the two of you! There's just no way! Especially against the newbie!" Shuji snapped angrily as Akira scratched the back of his head.

"This is a mess... I guess we should've expected something like this to happen..." Akira groaned before he watched to see his older brother suddenly run, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise and follow!

"We'll be back for you, you little punks! Just you wait!" Shuji snapped as Akira struggled to run after his older brother. By the time the two were nearly gone out of their sight, Dan smirked and called after them.

"You guys can come back anytime! Except that you guys will always lose if you keep this up!" Dan called out as Drago sighed.

"But still... It was one heck of a battle they gave off." Drago admitted, only to get a scoff from the Darkus Bakugan.

"That's probably because you are too soft when it comes to battling, Dragonoid!" Leonidas snapped, causing everyone's attention to shift to the Darkus Bakugan, who made himself "comfortable" on his human partner's shoulder.

"Leonidas...?" Sora asked as the Darkus Bakugan growled, with an aggressive tone.

"You said it yourself, didn't you? That Bakugan is more than just a game. So why hold back your attacks if you truly think like that?" Leonidas continued, causing Drago to growl at the Darkus Bakugan.

"That's enough! Bakugan are just like the two of us! You had to attack savagely like a monster threatening to tear out the Bakugan's body!" Drago snapped angrily, causing Leonidas to growl back.

At this, both Dan and Sora tried to calm their Guardian Bakugan down.

"Drago, chill! Weren't you the one that taught me that using anger is not the way to do it!?" Dan said frantically while Sora did the same for his Guardian Bakugan.

"Leonidas, you too! You really need to calm that anger down of yours!" Sora protested, causing both Bakugan to scoff and turn away from each other. Runo sweat dropped at this, before she sighed.

"Those two really remind me of Dan and his short temper..." Runo said dryly, earning a glare from the Pyrus Brawler in the process.

"WHAT!? I am so NOT like those two, Runo! Take that back right now!" Dan snapped, earning a sheepish smile from Marucho.

"You just proved her point, Dan..." Marucho said, causing Dan to slump down. Tigrerra and Preyas on the other hand, had other things to speak about, which was directed to the Darkus Bakugan.

"But still! That was way over the top! The way he took out the enemy's Bakugan was like crazy!" Preyas exclaimed with Tigrerra making her agreement.

"I must agree. That was no way for a Bakugan to achieve victory. You, of all Bakugan, should know better than to treat opponents like that, Leonidas." Tigrerra added, earning a glare from Leonidas in the process.

"Speak for yourself, Tigrerra! You weren't in that battle, so I would keep those words to myself! That goes for the cowardly Bakugan behind you, too!" Leonidas said harshly, igniting Preyas' temper.

"Hey... WHAT!? Cowardly!? I'll show you who's cowardly! Let me at 'em! Let me at 'em!" Preyas protested angrily, only to be held back by Marucho as he kept his rowdy Guardian Bakugan in his hands.

"Calm down, Preyas. Don't let that get to you..." Marucho said softly before he glared back at the Darkus Bakugan, who scoffed once again.

"Weak humans and their Bakugan..." Leonidas grunted under his breath as Sora gave a small glare at him. Then, glancing to see Runo and Marucho looking at him and Leonidas with disapproval, the Darkus Brawler gave a sigh.

Dan watched in worry while Sora scratched the back of his head.

 _"I don't want to believe it, but... with the way Leonidas acted back there and the last previous battles... he was acting aggressive. Does... Does Runo and Marucho have a point? Even Drago, Preyas, and Tigrerra looks like they're against Leonidas due to his attitude."_ Sora thought before he bit his lips.

He took another look at Leonidas, who kept mumbling something under his breath, possibly about how everyone except Sora was going against him because of his ways of battling and the way his attitude keeps going on.

 _"Could there be more to Leonidas than what I know of? What he could be hiding? No... That doesn't sound like it. He looks like he only wants to become the strongest. But the question is, why does he want to become the strongest? The answer may sound simple, but it doesn't count for his actions..."_ Sora thought again.

To be continued...

* * *

 **Sora's Ranking and Battles:**

 **Rank: 852**

 **W/L: 5/0**

 **Next chapters:**

 **Chapter 3: The Big Challenge From Tigrerra**

 **Chapter 4: The Dreadful Truth About Doom**

 **Chapter 5: The Strongest Masked Brawler Is!?**

 **Chapter 6: Challenge to be a Battle Brawler!**

 **Chapter 7: Take the Fight or Flight!**

 **Preview :**

 **Sora** \- Hey... This is Sora. Next time on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, I suddenly get a challenge from Runo! As she saw how rough Leonidas battled, she thinks she has what it takes to challenge us to a battle. Even Tigrerra looks serious about this challenge. Could Leonidas really be that different from the other Bakugan? I just wished everyone else wouldn't see him so differently... If they're going to battle us with their reasons, then we'll fight back with our resolution to prove the two of them wrong! Right, Leonidas? Let's go!

 **Sora** \- Bakugan, brawl! Don't miss it!


	3. The Big Challenge From Tigrerra

**Chapter 3:** **The Big Challenge From Tigrerra**

 **Dan** \- My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere! At first, they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game! That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all! They were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan! And together with my friends, Runo! Marucho! Julie! Not to mention Mr. Hotshot himself, Shun! And Alice! We are...

 **Battle Brawlers** \- The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

 **Dan** \- Bakugan! One goal, two worlds!

* * *

 **(Bakugan Battle Brawlers Opening 1)**

 ** _What are ya gonna do?_**

(Dan enters into battle with the field revealing itself)

 ** _The odds are stacked against you,  
Back against the wall,_**

(Dan and Masquerade activate their cards to begin battle)

(The two brawlers launch their Bakugan against each other)

 ** _You gotta give it your all,_**

(Sora floats with his Guardian Bakugan, Leonidas)

 ** _This is the final stand,_**

(Multiple scenes of different Bakugan appear)

 ** _The powers in your hand!_**

(Dan throws a Gate Card)

 ** _Two worlds collide,  
On the inside,_**

(Naga reaches for the Infinity and the Silent Core)

(Vestroia gets affected by Naga's actions)

(Drago uses Boosted Dragon on an opponent)

(Scenes of a masked brawler, and his Darkus Bakugan appear)

 ** _You got to fight for what's right,_**

(Sora raises an unknown card before the card glows)

 ** _Before it's gone,  
Gone, gone,  
This is Bakugan!_**

(Dan and Marucho prepares for battle while Sora and Runo waits)

(Dan returns a Bakugan with a grin)

(The title appears)

 **[Opening Ends]**

* * *

"Argh, I can't stand it! That kid and his Bakugan... They act like total kids!" Runo grumbled angrily as she washed the dishes in the kitchen. The Haos Brawler was washing dishes since their restaurant was closed, and with the sun setting down, she was doing her job as a "dishwasher".

"Calm down, Runo. I may agree with you about that Bakugan... Leonidas, but I don't believe you should be insulting the kid when all he wanted to do was to defend his partner..." Tigrerra said seriously, causing Runo to frown.

"I can understand that kid's intentions, Tigrerra... But still..." Runo started to say before she remembered what Sora said to her when they met each other for the first time, thanks to Dan trying to introduce him to her and Marucho.

 **Flashback**

 _"What is it that you're trying to say...?" Sora asked, his tone sounding a bit worried._

 _"What I'm saying is, is that maybe you should try and find a different partner. For a Bakugan like Leonidas to be so aggressive, I just don't think he would match with you..." Runo explained, earning a glare from the Darkus Brawler._

 _"Oh really? You could be just saying that because you're jealous from the power that Leonidas has, unlike Tigrerra!" Sora retorted back, irritating Runo a little before she stood up for her Guardian Bakugan._

 _"Hey, kid! You leave Tigrerra alone! She has nothing to do with this!" Runo snapped back, causing Marucho and Dan to get in between them._

 **Flashback End**

"He's acting so stubborn because of that aggressive Bakugan..." Runo grumbled as she began to wash another dish, only for that dish to slip from her hands and fall onto the wooden floor!

It crashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces, much to the Haos Brawler's surprise as she frowned. Biting her lips, she sighed before she tried to sweep it up so she could throw it away. While she was doing so, Tigrerra watched her while remaining silent.

"If he could just understand on how much aggressive that Bakugan could possibly use during battle... then maybe there's a chance he would reconsider with working with Leonidas..." Runo spoke to herself, which Tigrerra heard.

"Runo...? Just what are you saying that you're going to do?" Tigrerra asked, causing her to turn to her Guardian Bakugan before she made a quick request for the Haos Bakugan.

"Tigrerra... I need you to hear me out, okay? What I'm going to ask might sound reckless and weird, but... this is something I believe I need to do in order to REALLY help that kid out." Runo explained.

The Guardian Bakugan stiffened a little before she looked up to her human partner, before agreeing to listen to her request.

"All right, Runo... Just what do you have in mind for the kid and Leonidas?" Tigrerra asked. With that being asked, the Haos Brawler whispered something to the Haos Bakugan, causing Tigrerra to tense a little before she looked back at her human partner.

"Are you certain about this decision...? It's like you said, Runo... It's reckless!" Tigrerra asked, causing the Haos Brawler to nod before she put up a determined expression to show how serious she was with her decision.

"I know that, Tigrerra... But this is why I have to do it. It could maybe help the kid out, too!" Runo explained, causing the Haos Bakugan to sigh before she gave a small movement, which looked like a nod in her ball form.

"Very well, then. I will follow along with your decision, my lady." Tigrerra declared, causing Runo to smile brightly at her Guardian Bakugan.

"Aw, Tigrerra! Thank you so much!" Runo said gratefully before she scooped the Bakugan into her hands and smiled at her, causing the Haos Bakugan to give a small chuckle as the night went on.

 **Meanwhile...**

Sora was lying on his bed, still remembering for what Runo and Marucho thought about Leonidas before his Tag Battle with Dan against Shuji and Akira had occurred. He turned his head to where Leonidas was, who was in his ball form near the window.

 _"Could they be right about Leonidas? I mean... I don't know him that well, only to know that he's tremendously skilled in Bakugan battles, while wanting to take out his opponents very badly..."_ Sora thought before he looked up at the ceiling.

He continued his gaze on the ceiling until he heard a beeping noise coming from nearby. Sitting up on his bed, the Darkus Brawler turned to see that it was his computer! Raising an eyebrow, he walked over to it and noticed something on the screen.

"A message...? And it's from... Runo?" Sora asked as he clicked on the message to read what it says.

 _"Hey, kid... I'd like to have a battle with you tomorrow afternoon at 3'o clock. It's time I showed you on what your Bakugan can be really like when it gets really aggressive in battle. You think you can handle a challenge?"_ Runo's message didn't show any signs that she was kidding about what she had written.

"Seriously...?" was all Sora could say as he sighed, before he closed the message. As he got back onto the bed, he heard someone grunting.

"What was it?" Leonidas' annoyed tone asked, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise. His Guardian Bakugan had opened up, sounding wide awake.

"It... was a message from Runo. She challenged us to a Bakugan battle tomorrow at the park... The same place where we met both her and Marucho." Sora explained, causing the Darkus Bakugan to scoff at recognizing the human girl.

"Oh, her...? Her and that Haos Bakugan, was it? Tch... They won't even be a challenge." Leonidas scoffed, as he curled himself up into his ball form this time, only to get a raised eyebrow from the Darkus Brawler.

"You're underestimating her already even when you didn't battle her yet? Talk about jumping to conclusions before beginning a fight." Sora asked, only for his Guardian Bakugan to open up again before he "hmphed" himself.

"You may think you're the strongest, Leonidas... but that doesn't mean you can underestimate your opponents like that. Who knows? Maybe they might give you a surprise for when you think you're winning during a battle." Sora advised.

As soon as he said that, the Darkus Brawler lied back down on his bed, before saying his good night to the Darkus Bakugan. As he turned off the lights, the only light shining in his room was coming from the moon in the sky.

Remembering the advice Sora gave him just now, the Darkus Bakugan turned to where the moon was, shining high up in the night sky as he sighed.

"Give me a surprise, eh...? Well, I'd certainly like to see them try." Leonidas grumbled before he turned back into his ball form, falling asleep as the night went on quietly.

 **The next day...**

Sora was in his outdoor clothes, with Leonidas on his left shoulder. The Darkus Brawler was ready to face the Haos Battle Brawler at the park like she had wanted him to. Sora had got his Bakugan ready, along with his cards.

Knowing Runo, the Darkus Brawler knew she was a Brawler he couldn't mess around with, especially since she's part of the Battle Brawlers.

 **Meanwhile...**

Runo was at the park with Dan and Marucho, as she asked them to come and see her battle with the new Brawler. The Pyrus Brawler wasn't sure on what to say or who to cheer for, since Runo's part of the Battle Brawlers and one of his good friends.

But Sora was a new Brawler that had needed his help for when he battled against Shuji for the first time. And it wasn't Sora's fault that he got a short-tempered Guardian Bakugan to begin with.

But once Runo had set her decision on something, not even Dan himself was able to stop her from letting her go through with her plans as much as he wanted to argue...

As for Marucho, he didn't know what to think or who to support. Since Runo was one of his friends, he would definitely want to support her in her idea of trying to get the kid to think the right way about Leonidas.

But on the other hand, he wasn't sure if this plan was the right way to do it or not. Not to mention that it probably wasn't that long since the new Brawler and Leonidas teamed up together to become the best at Bakugan battles.

As for Drago and Preyas, the Dragonoid remained defiant on who he would support, since he wishes to know whether Leonidas could be a good ally or not against for the evil forces that would threaten Vestroia and all the other Bakugan.

For the Aquos Bakugan, he was miffed for being told off by the Darkus Bakugan, which made Preyas hope that Tigrerra would be able to win the battle against the upcoming opponent.

"Um, Runo...? Are you sure you want to go along with this? I mean..." Marucho started to ask, until the Haos Brawler interrupted him with an assuring tone.

"I know what I'm doing, Marucho. You know that, right?" Runo asked, causing the Aquos Brawler to blink before he gave a reluctant nod to his friend. As she turned back to see if Sora was coming, the Aquos Brawler scratched the back of his head.

"I wonder what's gotten into her, though... Was it because of what Sora said back when the two of us met him for the first time?" Marucho asked, causing Dan to shrug.

"Probably. You know how she is when it comes to someone trying to annoy her or when someone insults her Bakugan... Other than that, she's just a hot-tempered girl that doesn't get a simple joke..." Dan guessed, before he smirked.

Unfortunately...

"I HEARD THAT! YOU BETTER KEEP THAT MOUTH OF YOURS SHUT UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO!" Runo bellowed, causing both Dan and Marucho to freeze up. Drago just sighed while Preyas nearly fell over on his back.

"Geez... You see what I mean?" Dan asked, causing the Aquos Brawler to slowly nod in agreement. While the two were recovering from Runo's short temper, the Pyrus Brawler noticed someone coming into the park to where they were.

"Look over there... Isn't that...?" Dan started to ask before Marucho, Drago, and Preyas all looked. Up ahead, was Sora. He looked like he was ready for battle, as he looked serious and had Leonidas on his left shoulder.

Runo noticed him coming too, before she smiled confidently.

"So you came. I thought for sure you would back out when I said that our battle would involve Leonidas." Runo said, causing the Darkus Brawler to raise an eyebrow before he gave a quick glance at his Guardian Bakugan.

"You did say something about Leonidas being too aggressive. So... what's your game? You clearly didn't message me to ask me for just a friendly battle, right?" Sora asked, causing Runo to tense before she nodded.

"You're right. This isn't just for a friendly battle. I want to make a deal with you." Runo declared, catching Dan and Marucho's attention as Sora raised an eyebrow before he allowed the Haos Brawler to continue on.

"After our battle, if you win... then I'll accept that Leonidas is the perfect Bakugan partner for you right now. But if I win, then..." Runo started to say before she stopped herself. But Sora already knew what she wanted to say.

Biting his lips, he knew what was about to come as Leonidas just growled. The Darkus Bakugan knew what the human girl wanted to say if she were to be victorious in this Bakugan battle.

"...You want me to replace Leonidas with a different Bakugan as my new partner. Is that right?" Sora asked, which earned him a small and slow nod from the Haos Brawler.

"What...? Is she serious?" Dan asked in disbelief while Marucho just watched with widened eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait... So, if Tigrerra wins the battle against that mean-looking dragon Bakugan, then that Bakugan goes... bye-bye?" Preyas asked, causing Drago to respond with a serious tone.

"It would seem so. Otherwise, if both Sora and Leonidas were to be victorious in this battle, then their partnership together remains." Drago explained, causing Sora to twitch his eyes, as he clenched his fists for a moment.

 _"So it's true... You do believe that Leonidas is too wild of a Bakugan for someone like me to partner up with. I honestly can't blame you for coming up with an idea like that, but..."_ Sora thought as he shook his head.

"If that's the case, then I won't bother on trying to make this an easy battle for you to win at." Sora declared sternly, catching Dan a little off guard as he didn't recognize this tone of voice the Darkus Brawler was speaking right now.

"Leonidas, you ready to throw down?" Sora asked, causing the Guardian Bakugan to scoff, before he was ready.

"Do you really need to ask? Of course I'm ready." Leonidas assured as Sora took out his Field Card. Runo did the same, while Dan and Marucho took theirs out to watch the battle.

"Tigrerra, I'm going to really need your help with this battle..." Runo requested, causing the Haos Bakugan to nod towards her.

"Of course, milady." Tigrerra responded simply before everyone revealed their Field Cards to open up the battlefield.

"Field, Open!"

Like always before the battle began, the Attribute Hexagon appeared, with time slowing down.

* * *

 **Sora** **VS Runo**

The field revealed itself as Sora faced Runo, with Dan and Marucho watching from the Haos Brawler's side.

"Gate Card, set!"

The two Gate Cards were thrown, enlarging themselves for the Bakugan Battle to begin.

 **01T**

"Ladies first." Sora spoke out, causing Runo to raise an eyebrow before she began the battle.

"You're too kind. Gate Card, set!" Runo called out as she sent another Gate Card on her first Gate Card's right.

"Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!" Runo shouted out as she threw out a Haos Bakugan on her second Gate Card. The Bakugan opened itself, before transforming itself into... a white-yellow mantis-like Bakugan.

 **02T**

"A **Mantris**...? In that case... Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand! Rise, Darkus **Siege**!" Sora yelled as he threw out his first Bakugan on his Gate Card. The knight-like Bakugan wielded its spear, ready to take out for what it has to go up against later.

But the Haos Brawler wasn't planning on letting her opponent counter her with her second Bakugan as she activated an Ability to drag her opponent into battle.

"Running away? Ability Card, activate! **Marionette**!" Runo called out as the Ability Card allowed Mantris to send electricity to bind Siege and drag him to where Mantris was standing at!

"Say what!?" Sora exclaimed as Leonidas growled in annoyance.

"The Marionette Ability Card forces any Bakugan to stand on the Gate Card that Mantris stands at! And with this, Gate Card, open!" Runo exclaimed. The Haos Reactor Gate Card opened up, allowing Mantris to gain more power.

 _"Mantris' Power Level increases to 420 G's. Siege remains at 330 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed. Sora didn't have the time to try and counter as he watched in shock to see Mantris slashing Siege away!

"Oh no!" Sora exclaimed as he watched Siege get turned back into its ball form and roll on the ground in defeat.

 **Sora: 2 Bakugan**

Sora bit his lips, before he turned back to see Runo returning Mantris back into her hand as the Haos Bakugan had won the battle just now.

"Smooth move, Runo... Didn't think you would pull a move like that." Dan admitted, as he too, was surprised for the clever battling strategy the Haos Brawler had done just now.

"Hey... I can battle good too, you know." Runo said dryly, causing the Pyrus Brawler to sweat drop before Runo continued the battle with her going next.

 **03T**

"Anyways, that's one Bakugan down... Two more to go! Gate Card, set!" Runo called as she threw another Gate Card besides her first Gate Card once more before she got ready to send out her next Bakugan.

"Okay, Tigrerra... You think you can handle the next one for me?" Runo asked, allowing Tigrerra to open up and speak her confidence to her human partner.

"Of course, milady. I will put this battle at a quick end." Tigrerra assured, which made the Haos Brawler more confident before she sent her Guardian Bakugan out to the battlefield.

"Okay! Bakugan, brawl! Tigrerra, stand!" Runo exclaimed as her tiger-like Bakugan roared at being sent out to battle.

"Prepare yourself, kid! Because this battle will be much more difficult than the other battles you've faced!" Tigrerra growled, causing Sora to take a step back before he shook his head.

 **04T**

"Argh... That's what I should be saying to you! Gate Card, set!" Sora grunted as he threw a Gate Card on his first Gate Card's left.

"Bakugan, brawl! **Griffon** , stand!" Sora called out as his Darkus griffin-like Bakugan roared at being brought out to battle. At Griffon being sent out on a different card, the Haos Brawler blinked in confusion.

"He's not going to try and battle Tigrerra? Why, that little..." Runo grumbled, as she pouted in annoyance. Dan watched closely, while Marucho remained silent as he tried to focus on what the Darkus Brawler was trying to do.

 **05T**

"Okay, kid... If that's how you want to play, then fine! I'll start! Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!" Runo called out as she sent out a different Bakugan, this time on her first Gate Card. The Bakugan opened up, revealing itself to be a robot-like Bakugan.

 **06T**

"A Haos **Robotallian**... Leonidas?" Sora asked as his Guardian Bakugan rose up to his face, assuring that he was more than ready to rumble.

"Don't ask. I know what must be done. You know too, don't you?" Leonidas asked sternly, causing Sora to blink before he watched the Darkus Bakugan go into ball form and land onto the Darkus Brawler's palm.

 _"What's with you...? You're not talking much than before..."_ Sora thought before he sent his Guardian Bakugan out for battle.

"Here goes... Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora called out as he sent Leonidas to face Robotallian.

 _"Leonidas recognized."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed as it showed the Power Level both Bakugan had. The Darkus Bakugan already had a lead of 400 G's against the robot-like Bakugan's 320 G's. But the Haos Brawler wasn't planning on giving up that easily.

"Not so fast, kid! Gate Card, open! **Triple Battle**!" Runo shouted out, allowing the Command Card to open and block Leonidas from attacking Robotallian.

"What the...!?" Leonidas grunted in bewilderment, before Runo was ready to send Mantris out to the field.

 **07T**

"Sorry to disappoint you, kid... But this battle is almost over already! Bakugan, brawl! Mantris, stand!" Runo shouted out as the mantis-like Bakugan hissed, before facing the dragon Bakugan with Robotallian at its side.

 _"Mantris enters the battle. Mantris' Power Level combines with Robotallian, combining a total of 640 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, catching Marucho by surprise as he noticed the well thought strategy the Haos Brawler was doing.

"Unreal! She already has Sora on the ropes! And with 640 G's, this is going to get really tough, even for Leonidas!" Marucho pointed out, as Leonidas glared at his two Haos opponents.

"It doesn't matter how many of you there are! I will crush on anyone that intends to get in my way!" Leonidas roared, causing Runo to frown at Leonidas while Sora just watched in both surprise and awe.

"Leonidas... Right. Ability Card, activate! **Spice Slayer**!" Sora called out as dark energy formed from the Ability Card! It surrounded both Robotallian and Mantris, taking the Haos Brawler by surprise as she checked her Baku-Pod.

 _"Ability activated. Leonidas' Power Level increases to 500 G's. Robotallian and Mantris' combined Power Level decreases to 440 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, catching the three Battle Brawlers by surprise.

"Aw, no way! He completely turned the battle around by that one Ability!" Dan exclaimed as Leonidas slashed at Mantris! The mantis-like Bakugan screeched in pain before returning to its ball form in defeat.

As for Robotallian, the Haos robot-like Bakugan was bashed high into the air by Leonidas' tail, before the Darkus dragon Bakugan slammed Robotallian down hard on the ground with its fists.

"Such violence..." Tigrerra grunted bitterly. She watched as her two Bakugan comrades were defeated one by one, both rolling to where Runo stood. The Haos Brawler watched her Bakugan roll to her in defeat in both disbelief and surprise.

"H-Huh...? What happened?" Runo asked in disbelief.

 **Runo: 1 Bakugan**

 **08T**

Sora had Leonidas sent back to him as he frowned. With the way Leonidas had just attacked his two opponents to defeat them, he wasn't sure on whether this was the right way to battle or not.

 _"The way Leonidas battles... Is this... really the right way to battle? Out of all the Bakugan that I've seen battling... Leonidas is the only one that showed extreme methods such as this..."_ Sora thought before Leonidas called to him.

"What are you waiting for, Sora? It's our turn to fight again. Put me in!" Leonidas exclaimed, causing Sora to blink before he gave a reluctant nod to his Guardian Bakugan.

"Ah... Right. Sorry for the wait." Sora apologized before he got ready to send Leonidas out for battle.

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora called as he sent his Guardian Bakugan out on his first Gate Card. Dan watched in confusion, as did Marucho.

"What's he thinking? He's not going to try and battle Tigrerra when she's the last Bakugan to beat?" Marucho asked, only for the Darkus Brawler to play a Darkus Ability Card.

"This is why... Ability Card, activate! **Gravity Chamber**! With this, it drags Tigrerra to where Leonidas stands!" Sora explained as the Ability Card surrounded Leonidas, creating a whirlwind of some sort to drag Tigrerra from Runo's card!

"Ah! No, Tigrerra!" Runo gasped as she watched her Guardian Bakugan struggle to resist as she was continually dragged before she had reached the Darkus Bakugan's Gate Card.

"Ah, snap! That was one sneaky move! Now Tigrerra is stuck on Leonidas' card!" Dan pointed out, as Preyas quickly began to panic for his Haos friend.

"Oh no! Tigrerra, you have to step on it!" Preyas panicked as Leonidas roared, before lunging to attack. Tigrerra roared back as she tried to fight back, until the Darkus Bakugan used his tail to slam her away.

Wincing in pain, the Haos Bakugan tried to fight back again, only to get slashed away by Leonidas' claws.

"Tigrerra, please! You have to hang in there!" Runo pleaded as the Haos Bakugan grunted in pain, taking a few steps back to try and endure the Darkus Bakugan's continuous assault.

"I'm trying... as hard as I can...!" Tigrerra grunted as she felt weary from the blows she was taking. Sora had noticed this as he watched to see his Guardian Bakugan continue to try and take the Haos Bakugan down.

 _"Why isn't he stopping...!? It's over, isn't it!? He won! So why...!?"_ Sora thought before he quickly took quick measures to prevent the violent battle from continuing on.

"Argh! Gate Card, open! **Gate Card Close**!" Sora exclaimed. The Command Card opened up, causing both Leonidas and Tigrerra to return to their ball forms! Griffon was also called back, as all the Bakugan returned to the Brawlers.

The three Battle Brawlers were surprised with how Sora had stopped the battle.

"What was that just now...? His Gate Card forced all the Bakugan to return to their players' hands!" Dan exclaimed, allowing the Aquos Brawler to explain.

"When a Bakugan player activates the Command Card, Gate Card Close... it forces all the Bakugan to return to their player's hand while ending the battle! But, what was he trying to do...?" Marucho explained before he expressed his confusion.

"If I'm right... then I believe, that Sora was trying to stop Leonidas from hurting Tigrerra any further." Drago explained, causing Dan and Marucho to turn to the Pyrus Bakugan in surprise, which also caught Runo's attention, too.

As for Leonidas, he was fuming with how Sora had ended the battle and snapped at the human boy for interrupting their chance for victory.

"What were you doing!? I almost had her until you decided to end the battle, despite of how close we were to our victory!" Leonidas snapped angrily, causing Sora to flinch before he apologized to his Guardian Bakugan.

"I know, and... I'm sorry, Leonidas. But what you were about to do was more than just victory. You were trying to torture her, weren't you?" Sora asked, his stern expression coming to his face as his Guardian Bakugan just growled.

"And so what if I was?" Leonidas growled, causing Sora to twitch his eyes in annoyance before he snapped back at the Darkus Bakugan.

"That just proves that you're no better than how a monster would fight! A normal Bakugan would never try to torment their opponent before defeating them in battle! I thought you'd knew that despite of how violent you act!" Sora snapped, causing Leonidas to tense at his tone.

The three Battle Brawlers all watched as the human boy argued with his Guardian Bakugan, who remained silent on what his human partner had said to him just now. Runo watched in worry before she knew what must be done, and that was to finish the battle.

"Tigrerra, can you still battle?" Runo asked, causing the Haos Bakugan to open up and assure that she would fare well during their next battle.

"Don't worry. I've gone much worse than this, milady. Throw me in again! I will not let you down this time!" Tigrerra assured, causing the Haos Brawler to nod and prepare to send her Guardian Bakugan out again.

 **09T**

"Hate to interrupt your argument, kid... But we have a battle to finish! And battle you we will! Let's go, Tigrerra! Bakugan, brawl!" Runo called out, catching the Darkus Brawler's attention as he watched Runo send Tigrerra out to battle.

The tiger-like Bakugan roared at being sent out once more, as Tigrerra stared down at the young Brawler.

"Now it's your turn, kid!" Tigrerra roared out, causing Sora to back away a little before he stood his ground this time.

 **10T**

"I've got no other choice here, do I? Bakugan, brawl! Griffon, stand!" Sora called out, as the Darkus griffin-like Bakugan roared at facing Tigrerra, who on the other hand, got ready to battle.

"Gate Card, open!" Runo called out as the **Character** Card of Tigrerra was activated.

 _"Character Card activated. Tigrerra's Power Level doubles to 680 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed. The Darkus Brawler widens his eyes as the Haos Bakugan roared before slashing Griffon into the air!

The defeated Darkus Bakugan returned to its ball form, before falling on the ground and rolling to where the Darkus Brawler stood.

 **Sora: 1 Bakugan**

 **11T**

Tigrerra had returned to Runo's hand, as she took her Guardian Bakugan back.

"Okay, that's one more down! Just Leonidas left! Tigrerra, can you do this one more time?" Runo asked, causing the Haos Bakugan to give an affirmative response.

"Of course, milady." Tigrerra declared before she closed herself up. Smiling at her partner's cooperation, the Haos Brawler was ready for the last battle to begin.

"Okay, kid! Here goes! The real battle begins now! Bakugan, brawl! Tigrerra, stand!" Runo exclaimed as the Haos Bakugan appeared on one of Sora's Gate Card! It was the same Gate Card that Griffon was on before the **Gate Card Close** Command Card forced it back.

 **12T**

"This next battle will decide everything. What's Sora going to do now?" Dan asked, as Marucho watched in anticipation. Runo waited as well, only to see Sora hesitating while the Darkus Bakugan was impatient to battle again.

 _"If I throw in Leonidas again, then who knows what might happen if he were to attack Tigrerra violently again? But if I don't battle, then this is going to count as my forfeit. Which means, I'll have to replace Leonidas! I don't want to do that, but..."_ Sora thought until Leonidas called to him.

"Sora!" Leonidas snapped, catching the Darkus Brawler's attention as he widened his eyes to where Leonidas was facing him.

"I know what you are thinking, but right now... We're in a middle of a battle. If you want to lecture me of how I should battle... Then save it for when this battle is over." Leonidas grunted, his tone sounding annoyed.

Sora narrowed his eyes before he gave a reluctant nod to his Guardian Bakugan, before he got ready to fight again.

"Right..." was all the Darkus Brawler could say before he looked to where Tigrerra stood.

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora called out, as the Darkus Bakugan roared before facing Tigrerra once again, who only growled back bitterly. She easily recalled of how brutally she was taken down before the battle was called off by Sora.

"This time, there will be no more interruptions! I will finish you here, Tigrerra!" Leonidas declared, only for the Haos Bakugan to roar back.

"That won't happen, because Runo and I will be the one to triumph against you! Runo!" Tigrerra called out, causing the Haos Brawler to nod before she activated an Ability Card to defeat the Darkus Bakugan.

"Right! Here it is, Tigrerra! Ability Card, activate! **Lightning Tornado**!" Runo called out, which surrounded Tigrerra with a tornado of light! It blinded both Sora and Leonidas before they watched to see a brutal attack coming towards their way.

 _"100 G's transferred from Leonidas to Tigrerra."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, showing Leonidas' Power Level as 300, with Tigrerra's Power Level becoming even more higher with 440 G's.

"Ugh...! Gate Card, open! **Level Down**!" Sora called out, forcing the Command Card to open and decrease Tigrerra's Power Level back to its original state to 340.

"That's still not good enough! Leonidas is going to lose if he takes the Lightning Tornado attack!" Marucho pointed out, causing Sora to watch in horror before he realized he had one more Ability Card he had yet to play.

Taking it out, he recognized it as **Alpha Blaster** , causing Sora to hesitate for a moment as Leonidas tried to prevent the attack from reaching him by blocking the Lightning Tornado attack that Tigrerra has created.

"Ugh! Sora! What are you waiting for!? If this keeps up, we both lose!" Leonidas roared out, causing the Darkus Brawler to widen his eyes as he watched his Guardian Bakugan starting to get cornered before he activated his Ability Card.

"N-No... Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**!" Sora exclaimed, as the Ability Card allowed Leonidas to gain energy! Energy was ready to be shot out of his mouth as the Darkus Bakugan was ready to fire whenever he had the chance.

"No way!" Runo exclaimed as she checked her Baku-Pod again to check who was in the lead this time.

 _"Leonidas' Power Level increases to 500 G's. Tigrerra remains at 340 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed. The Lightning Tornado power disappeared, leaving the Haos Bakugan surprised as she came to realize that she was wide open!

"Huh!? No!" Tigrerra exclaimed as Leonidas roared, before blasting his energy to blast the Haos Bakugan down!

"It's over! You're through, Tigrerra!" Leonidas exclaimed as the Alpha Blaster attack blasted Tigrerra from the air! The Haos Bakugan roared as she fell onto the ground hard, much to Runo's shock and disbelief.

"Oh no! Tigrerra! Tigrerra, no!" Runo exclaimed as she watched Tigrerra return to her ball form by dropping down and rolling to where Runo stood. The Haos Bakugan watched in disbelief to see herself being defeated by the new Brawler.

"I... don't believe it. I lost." Runo breathed out in disbelief.

 **WIN: Sora**

* * *

The battlefield closed with the battle ending in Sora's victory. But to the Darkus Brawler, it wasn't that much of a victory to him, considering on what he had to see and what his Guardian Bakugan had done so far.

"Is the battle over?" Preyas asked, only for Drago to respond to his silly question.

"Of course it is, Preyas. And it didn't go so well for Tigrerra..." Drago responded bluntly, as Runo slowly picked her Guardian Bakugan off the ground before she checked to see whether if her Bakugan was alright or not.

"Tigrerra? Are you okay?" Runo asked softly, causing the Haos Bakugan to open up and shake before she responded to her human partner's question.

"I... believe so, Runo, but to be defeated this way..." Tigrerra started to say before she sighed, annoyed for the bitter defeat and upset with how poorly she was able to handle Leonidas' signature attack.

The Haos Brawler smiled sadly for her Haos Bakugan's feelings before she looked to where Sora stood, with Leonidas sitting on the palm of his right hand. Dan and Marucho ran over to their Haos user friend as Sora stared down at his Guardian Bakugan.

"Are you satisfied now? We won the battle, with you finishing it off with your savage attacks and brutal methods to win..." Sora asked dryly, earning a grunt from the Darkus Bakugan, who turned away from his human partner.

"There's nothing more to discuss. The battle is over with our win." Leonidas spoke bluntly, causing Sora to twitch his eyes before Dan called out to the Darkus Brawler.

"Hey, Sora! Nice moves out there!" Dan exclaimed, causing the Darkus Brawler to look up and see the Pyrus Brawler smiling at him.

"You were going great out there with Leonidas, until..." Dan started to explain before Sora sighed, understanding what the Pyrus Brawler was trying to say.

"I know, and it wasn't pretty for all of us to see." Sora admitted before he looked down at the Darkus Bakugan that closed himself up. Marucho and Runo walked over, as the Darkus Brawler turned to the Haos Brawler.

"Well? I guess Leonidas and I had won the battle, so there won't be any other Bakugan taking his place as my partner." Sora reminded, earning a reluctant nod from the Haos Brawler.

"I know. I haven't forgotten. But still..." Runo started to say before she stopped herself as she shook her head.

"Never mind... I'm sure you'll find a way to make things better between the two of you." Runo assured, her smile returning a little to her face. Accepting the Haos Brawler's words, Sora nodded back, his smile returning to his face as well.

"Right. Thanks." Sora said, as he was about to make his leave, until...

 _GROWL..._

A loud growling noise filled the air, causing Sora, Marucho, and Runo to all widen their eyes in surprise before they all turned to where Dan was standing with a flushed face and a sheepish expression.

"Ah ha... I, uh... guess I'm kinda hungry?" Dan spoke sheepishly, much to Runo's annoyance as she sighed bitterly at the Pyrus Brawler.

"Ugh! You and your stomach! I can't believe you, Dan! Always getting hungry during a serious time like this!" Runo exclaimed, causing Dan to shoot back at her with his retort.

"Hey! I can't help it! You expect me to keep my stomach quiet especially since I skipped breakfast just so I could meet up with you and Marucho!?" Dan retorted, much to the Haos Brawler's annoyance as she shouted back at him.

"What were you thinking, skipping that when it's an important time to eat!? Dan Kuso, you can be so irresponsible with yourself sometimes!" Runo groaned, her tone starting to lower down a little.

At seeing the two argue for a while, Marucho just laughed nervously while Sora just watched with a bewildered expression.

"Uh... What am I supposed to say to this...?" Sora asked, causing the Aquos Brawler to shrug before he tried to explain.

"Don't mind them. They're always like this, whether if it's big or small." Marucho assured, causing the Darkus Brawler to raise an eyebrow before he looked back at the two Battle Brawlers continue their argument.

While he was listening to them, he didn't hear Leonidas grumbling to himself about some humans and the Bakugan that he battled with.

"Weak humans... and their Bakugan..." Leonidas grumbled to himself inaudibly. What the Darkus Bakugan didn't know, was that soon... he would have to force himself to tell Sora about the truth of where he truly originated from.

 **Meanwhile...**

A masked man was looking over at a computer, searching for a few Brawlers that were suitable to serve under him until the time came for him to be part of the real game.

"Hm... Interesting. I didn't think there were this many suitable battlers that would help me find what I desire..." The masked man sneered until another voice joined in, showing his clear annoyance.

"As much as I would want to agree with you on that, Masquerade... What's the holdup? When I do get a challenge?" The figure asked, causing the masked man, now known as Masquerade to chuckle before he turned to the figure.

"Oh, there's no need for you to worry about that. There are many Bakugan players that you can defeat, aren't there?" Masquerade asked, only to get a scoff from the figure as he turned his back on the Rank #1 Brawler.

"They're just weaklings. They don't prove themselves to be a challenge to me... Well, me and my Bakugan." The figure explained confidently, causing the masked Brawler to chuckle before he revealed two pictures that were quite familiar.

"In that case, perhaps you'd like a chance with these two Brawlers?" Masquerade asked, as the figure walked over to see the masked Brawler had clicked on just now.

"Well, well... The almighty Dan Kuso, eh? And there's that new kid... What's so interesting about this one?" The figure asked as he had noticed Sora's face, before the masked Brawler started to explain.

"Apparently, somehow... The Doom Dimension had opened up, allowing a Bakugan to appear on Earth. I believe it's the one we're both familiar of, since Hal-G was the one that summoned that Bakugan, along with one other..." Masquerade explained.

The figure tensed at the mention of that, before he chuckled, his tone sounding amused for what he had just heard.

"Oh...? That does sound... interesting." The figure chuckled before he revealed a Darkus Bakugan that was on the palm of his left fingerless gloved hand.

"Doesn't that sound interesting to you... Vladitor?" The figure asked, causing the still closed Bakugan to have dark aura surrounding him before the figure thought he heard an amused chuckle, coming from the Bakugan.

"It certainly does sound... interesting, Marduk." The Bakugan, now known as Vladitor affirmed as the figure sneered back evilly. The chances to battle against both Dan and Sora had begun.

To be continued...

* * *

 **Sora's Ranking and Battles:**

 **Rank: 664**

 **W/L: 6/0**

 **Next chapters:**

 **Chapter 4: The Dreadful Truth About Doom**

 **Chapter 5: The Strongest Masked Brawler Is!?**

 **Chapter 6: Challenge to be a Battle Brawler!**

 **Chapter 7: Take the Flight or Fight!**

 **Chapter 8: The Challenge from the Mask**

 **Preview :**

 **Dan** \- Next time on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, I get challenged by a group that works for Masquerade! And it's not just me! Runo and Marucho are dragged into the challenge, with Sora getting caught up in this mess! What's with these guys and why are they so loyal to Masquerade? Heck, they sound tough but they don't look like they have the words to back it up! Get ready, Drago! Because this shouldn't take too long!

 **Dan** \- Bakugan, brawl! Don't miss it!


	4. The Dreadful Truth About Doom

**Chapter 4: The Dreadful Truth About Doom**

 **Dan** \- My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere! At first, they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game! That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all! They were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan! And together with my friends, Runo! Marucho! Julie! Not to mention Mr. Hotshot himself, Shun! And Alice! We are...

 **Battle Brawlers** \- The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

 **Dan** \- Bakugan! One goal, two worlds!

* * *

 **(Bakugan Battle Brawlers Opening 1)**

 ** _What are ya gonna do?_**

(Dan enters into battle with the field revealing itself)

 ** _The odds are stacked against you,  
Back against the wall,_**

(Dan and Masquerade activate their cards to begin battle)

(The two brawlers launch their Bakugan against each other)

 ** _You gotta give it your all,_**

(Sora floats around with his Guardian Bakugan, Leonidas)

 ** _This is the final stand,_**

(Multiple scenes of different Bakugan appear)

 ** _The powers in your hand!_**

(Dan throws a Gate Card)

 ** _Two worlds collide,  
On the inside,_**

(Naga reaches for the Infinity and the Silent Core)

(Vestroia gets affected by Naga's actions)

(Drago uses Boosted Dragon on an opponent)

(Scenes of a masked brawler, and his Darkus Bakugan appear)

 ** _You got to fight for what's right,_**

(Sora raises an unknown card before the card glows)

 ** _Before it's gone,  
Gone, gone,  
This is Bakugan!_**

(Dan and Marucho prepares for battle while Sora and Runo waits)

(Dan returns a Bakugan with a grin)

(The title appears)

 **[Opening Ends]**

* * *

"So what's the real reason you called me here today, Marucho?" Sora asked as he walked with the Aquos Brawler in the hallway of the new house Marucho has lived in for the past few weeks after he had met the Darkus Brawler.

"Well, since it's been a while since we last saw you after your battle with Runo, I thought you might want to spend some time with one of us, starting with me!" Marucho explained, having the small smile on his face.

The Darkus Brawler raised an eyebrow, but understood the point of Marucho's words. Ever since his harsh battle with Runo, Sora hasn't made any contact with any of the three, due to the guilt he had gained after Leonidas' brutal attack against Tigrerra.

His Guardian Bakugan still wasn't convinced that his actions were enough to hurt a Bakugan deeply... just enough to defeat them in battle and humiliate them in any way he can. That caused the relationship between Sora and Leonidas to deteriorate a little.

And as the days went by, the two didn't speak to each other much, other than giving each other glances. No full sentences and no thoughts to think about for each other.

But it was this day when Marucho contacted him, which caught the Darkus Brawler by surprise. But nevertheless, he accepted the Aquos Brawler's invitation, which was why he was currently walking around Marucho's house, with Marucho giving him a tour.

So far, the Darkus Brawler felt a little overwhelmed due to the size of the house, which seemed to be more of a tower now that he thought about it more. And with the many rooms around, Sora didn't know what to think or feel about it anymore.

Soon, the two boys reached Marucho's room, which was where the plasma screen was at. The Darkus Brawler was told to wait for a minute, causing Sora to wait before he felt something rustling in his sweater pocket.

Glancing at it, he noticed Leonidas opening up from his ball form, sounding rather impatient for the lack of action they had done for the past few days.

"Ugh... Just how long will it take before we battle? Ever since we battled against that human girl and that Tigrerra, we've been doing nothing for the past few days! What's up with that?" Leonidas asked in annoyance.

"Leo... the reason why we didn't continue with any more Bakugan battling was because I'm completely against your way of battling. The way you tried to strike Tigrerra was just... I don't know... too shocking to see?" Sora asked silently.

His tone of annoyance wasn't unheard of from the Darkus Bakugan, who scoffed at his words.

"That's because you're too soft when it comes to real Bakugan battling! All I ever done was battle hard like any other Bakugan would've done when they've reached a higher level of power during battle!" Leonidas retorted, earning a glare from Sora.

"Still! Couldn't you have at least turn it down a little? You could've... You could've hurt those Bakugan fatally if I hadn't called you back that time!" Sora asked back, only to get a grumble in response.

"Is everything alright here?" Marucho asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to turn and see the Aquos Brawler watching him in concern with something in his hands.

"N-No... It's fine. What's that you have there? A launcher of some sort?" Sora asked, causing Preyas to give the answer to his question.

"Yes, sir! It's the same Bakugan Launcher that Marucho and the others have! Except that yours are a bit dark, due to... you know, your use of the Dark Attributed Bakugan?" Preyas explained, causing Sora to understand the reason for the color.

"I see... So, this is what I'll be using in some battles whenever I feel like it?" Sora asked, earning a nod from the Aquos Brawler.

"Right! The first time Dan and I used those launchers was when we had to fight against Jenny and Jewls! They were brainwashed by this creepy masked Brawler named Masquerade, who used other people to steal our Bakugan!" Marucho explained.

"Masquerade..." Sora breathed out, repeating the name. He was well aware of who the Rank #1 Brawler was, who was also the same person who started to cause trouble to many other Bakugan Players by sending their Bakugan to the Doom Dimension.

Other than that, the Darkus Brawler had seen many Bakugan players wearing launchers of some sort that seemed different than the one Marucho has given him. Furthermore, the Brawlers with those launchers had a card called the Doom Card that was able to open the portal to the Doom Dimension.

Once a Bakugan was defeated by the enemy's Bakugan, then that Bakugan would be sent to the afterlife...

"...But why give me this? Why not find someone else that could make a better use of this launcher during battle?" Sora asked, causing Marucho to give a sheepish smile.

"Well... It's kind of a present, and a way for me to apologize for what I said about before about Leonidas when we first met..." Marucho explained, causing Sora to blink before he sighed, coming to a realization of what Marucho meant.

 **Flashback**

 _"Perhaps... Maybe he's secretly planning something beyond just Bakugan battles?" Marucho asked, causing Dan to widen his eyes in surprise. Drago tensed on this while Runo bit her lips, understanding a little from what her short friend was saying._

 _Tigrerra and Preyas said nothing else, as they seemed to get the point from what the Aquos Brawler was saying. But one person retorted those words, making a surprising entrance in the process._

 _"Wait a sec, what's that supposed to mean!? What makes you say that!?" Sora called out. Hearing a new voice, the three Brawlers and their Bakugan all turned to see Sora standing not too far from them with Leonidas on his shoulder._

 _"Sora! And Leonidas?" Dan blurted out in surprise. Marucho and Runo both widened their eyes as they recognized the name from what the Pyrus Brawler had just said as they looked to see Sora glaring at them!_

 _"You may be right with the fact that Leonidas did come later than how all the other Bakugan did, but that doesn't give you the right to conclude that he's an evil Bakugan!" Sora said, annoyed with how Marucho seemingly accused Leonidas of one._

 _"N-No! I didn't meant to say that Leonidas was a bad guy..." Marucho said, trying to calm the Darkus Brawler down._

 **Flashback End**

"Ah... You mean the time when I thought you were accusing Leo of being an evil Bakugan?" Sora asked, earning a sheepish smile from the Aquos Brawler.

"Yeah... I'm sorry if I made you think that way because of the way I said it..." Marucho apologized while Preyas grumbled.

"Yeah... And you didn't have to make an outburst of it just because of a small misunderstanding..." Preyas added silently, enough to make Sora as he twitched his eyes at the Aquos Bakugan.

"Like you're any better, Preyas..." Sora shot back, causing the Aquos Bakugan to flinch before he turned back to the Aquos Brawler.

"No problem... Besides, after the things I've seen with Leonidas in battle, I'm starting to believe that there might be something that he's hiding from me... I just don't know what it is." Sora admitted, admitting to the mistrust he had for his Guardian Bakugan.

The Darkus Bakugan tensed for a moment before he scoffed a little. But deep down, what Leonidas didn't know was that he felt a little hurt from those words as Marucho frowned at the confession from Sora.

Before he could speak however, a sound came from his Baku-Pod, causing the Aquos Brawler to pause what he was about to say and check on who it was. To his surprise, it was Dan, who seemed to be trying to get to him.

"Dan? What's going on?" Marucho asked, catching Sora's attention.

"Hey, buddy... I just got a letter from Masquerade!" Dan explained, catching both Sora and Marucho by surprise.

"Whoa, really!?" Marucho exclaimed, earning a nod from the Pyrus Brawler.

"He's waiting for me inside a warehouse somewhere around town... I'm going to go look for it, so I thought that you might want to come along and check with me. Runo already agreed to it since she saw the letter, too!" Dan explained.

"I'll meet you over there then, Dan! And by the way..." Marucho assured before he changed to a different subject, catching Dan's attention.

"What is it?" Dan started to ask before he noticed Sora coming in to see his Bakugan teacher.

"Would it be alright if I tagged along? I want to see how you would be able to pummel that creepy mask to the ground." Sora asked, causing the Pyrus Brawler to chuckle at the Darkus Brawler's appearance.

"Hah! Didn't see you there, Sora! And sure! You and the others can watch me wipe the floor with that creep!" Dan exclaimed with a grin, causing Sora to nod in thanks before the Baku-Pod screen turned off, ending the call.

"You sure about this? No second thoughts about this?" Marucho asked, causing Sora to fold his arms.

"I'm sure... And hey, if there are any other Brawlers that are trying to get in our way to help Dan out, then this is something we all might have to do." Sora reminded, allowing the Aquos Brawler to understand Sora's words.

"I understand..." was all Marucho needed to say before the two began to make their way out of the house, which the Aquos Brawler taking the lead. Unknown to the two of them and Preyas, the Darkus Guardian Bakugan had heard the whole thing.

 _"Masquerade, huh... The human that rises above all other Bakugan and the humans they team up with... That's interesting."_ Leonidas thought before he turned back into his ball form to sleep through the trip before the real battle would begin.

 **Later...**

Soon, the Aquos and Darkus Brawler arrived to where the warehouse was. While they got there, they spotted Dan and Runo together, both of them having their launchers in case if they were to be forced into a battle.

At noticing them, Dan called out to his two friends.

"Hey, guys! Over here!" Dan shouted out, catching Sora and Marucho's attention. The two went over to their two friends, with Runo widening her eyes at the appearance of the Darkus Brawler.

Sora noticed the look she was giving him, before he slightly turned his head away. The guilt of letting Leonidas brutally defeat Tigrerra was still fresh on his mind, the same going for Haos Brawler.

At noticing the tense atmosphere, the Pyrus Brawler looked at the Aquos Brawler, who shrugged in response. Then, wanting to change the subject of why they were all here in the first place, the Pyrus Brawler called out to his masked enemy.

"Alright, now that we're all here... Hey, Masquerade! Show yourself already! I'm here and I'm ready to battle!" Dan demanded out loud. Drago got onto his shoulder, searching around to know where the masked brawler was.

The same went for the other Brawlers and their Guardian Bakugan as they searched to see where Masquerade could be. But just before Dan could make another demand, something shadowed over both him and Runo, with Runo giving a shriek.

"AHH!" Runo shrieked, causing the Pyrus Brawler to widen his eyes before he pushed himself and Runo out of the way to dodge a falling crate. The two managed to get out of the way in time, while shocking both Sora and Marucho.

"Dan!"

"Runo!" The two called out as the Pyrus Brawler shook his head before getting up.

"Aw, geez... That smarts. Hey, Runo... You okay?" Dan asked, causing the Haos Brawler to shake her head and recover from the sudden push.

"I'll be fine, I think. What was that just now!?" Runo assured before she snapped to where the broken crate was. Tigrerra growled, realizing that the enemy is near.

"Be on your guard, my lady! I believe that the enemy is here somewhere!" Tigrerra reminded seriously, causing the four Brawlers to be more cautious of their surroundings. Just then...

"AHHH! TO OUR LEFT! OUR LEFT!" Preyas wailed, causing Marucho to yelp in surprise as another crate started to come crashing down.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Sora yelled as he pulled Marucho out of the way, before the two dove down to evade the impact of the falling object. This time, Dan and Runo were the next ones to be surprised as they called for their two friends.

"Sora!"

"Marucho!" The two shouted out as the two boys quickly got up to get ready for the other things that might come crashing down towards them.

"Okay, who's there!? Show yourself right now!" Dan demanded angrily. He wasn't liking this one bit, since it wasn't just once, but twice that he and his friends were nearly crushed by the falling crates!

Just as he asked, a group of snickering came from around them as the four Brawlers got ready to face whatever's coming to them. Two sneaky looking boys faced Sora and Marucho on one side, while a girl and boy came to face Dan and Runo on the other side!

"We're surrounded!" Runo exclaimed, causing the girl to sneer at her.

"Good eye, princess. Now then, let's get down to business, shall we?" The girl asked as she revealed the Subterra colored launcher she had, only for hers to look a little more dark. The boy next to her revealed an Aquos colored launcher of his own.

The two boys facing Sora and Marucho revealed the Ventus and Haos colored launchers, causing the four Brawlers to recognize on who they're from.

"Great... More of Masquerade's lackeys! Why can't he ever show up on his own to fight against me!?" Dan groaned, only for Drago to remind him of the serious battle everyone has got themselves in.

"As much as I want to agree with you, Daniel... I don't believe this is the time for complaining! We have to get ready!" Drago reminded seriously, causing Dan to take out his Field Card, with Runo doing the same.

Sora and Marucho did the same, as did the four Brawlers working for Masquerade.

"FIELD, OPEN!"

The Field Cards all glowed, creating two Attribute Hexagram to surround each of the two groups, causing two separate battlefields to appear for the eight Brawlers to battle in.

* * *

 **Haos Brawler** **and Ventus Brawler VS Sora and ****Marucho**

With the field open, the Darkus Brawler took notice of Dan and Runo being missing from the field.

"Dan and Runo aren't here... They must be in a different battlefield since the four of us made distance from each other because of the crates separating us into two groups. That must be why they surrounded us..." Sora pointed out in realization.

"It's a clever strategy for sure... I just hope that we don't get outnumbered by their tactics in battle." Marucho agreed as the two Brawlers took out familiar cards for both Sora and Marucho to see.

" **Doom Card** , set!" The two called out as they threw the cards. The field grew a bit more dark and tense before the four Brawlers sent their Gate Cards out to begin the battle.

"Gate Card, set!" The four players threw their Gate Cards, allowing the cards to enlarge themselves for their Bakugan to battle in. The first Brawler to throw in his Bakugan was the one with the Haos launcher.

 **01T**

"Guess it's my turn! Bakugan, brawl! Haos **Manion** , stand!" The Haos Brawler called out, launching his Haos Bakugan onto his own Gate Card. The Haos sphinx Bakugan appeared, roaring at being summoned on the Gate Card.

 **02T**

"I'll take the next round! Bakugan, brawl! Aquos **Limulus** , stand!" Marucho shouted out, as he launched his Aquos Bakugan to where his Gate Card was! The Darkus Brawler watched carefully as the next opponent began his move.

 **03T**

"Hah! That horseshoe crab is nothing compared to the big thing I'm about to bring! Bakugan, brawl! Ventus **Beestriker** , stand!" The Ventus Brawler called out, calling a bee-like Bakugan to buzz into the field, before he played a card.

"Ability Card, activate! **Blow Away**!" The Ventus Brawler cried out, causing a tornado to immobilize Limulus and send it flying to where Beestriker was!

"Ah! Oh no!" Marucho gasped as he watched his Bakugan get dragged into a battle, catching Sora by surprise.

"What was that just now!?" Sora exclaimed, allowing the Ventus Brawler to sneer and explain.

"Doesn't that look obvious? I just blew away your short friend's Bakugan to where my Bakugan is, since he seems to be too afraid to battle with one of us right now!" The Ventus Brawler sneered as Beestriker looked ready to strike.

"I won't let you take my Bakugan that easily! Ability Card, activate! **Dive Mirage**! Swim to another card, Limulus!" Marucho exclaimed, causing the horseshoe crab Bakugan to swim to where it originally was before the Ventus Ability Card had activated.

"Tch... What are you, running away from a battle!? You little coward!" The Ventus Brawler snapped, as Leonidas floated up, sounding rather eager and impatient for a tough battle up ahead.

 **04T**

"Looks like it's my turn. Sora! Throw me in!" Leonidas called out, causing the Darkus Brawler to blink. Remembering the savage personality Leonidas had shown during the past battles, the Darkus Brawler at first wanted to go against the wish.

But just as he was about to speak, he recalled as to what Dan said about earlier of making partners with a Bakugan that seems to be tough for a player to have.

 **Flashback**

 _"I see what you mean. It's important to have a tight relationship with your Bakugan! Of course, that's something what Drago taught me when Bakugan were more than just fun and games..."_ _Dan explained in understanding._

 **Flashback End**

 _"A tight relationship with your Bakugan... But, can I trust Leonidas with this?"_ Sora thought as he began to have doubts in his mind for his Guardian Bakugan. But before he could think any further, the opponents were starting to get impatient for Sora's next move.

"Hey, you there! Quit stalling and get ready to brawl! Unless you just want to forfeit the match here!?" The Haos Brawler demanded, causing Marucho to look up at the Darkus Brawler in concern until Sora opened his eyes, showing his determined expression.

"All right, Leonidas. You've got yourself a deal. Just... try not to be too rough on these Bakugan here. They might not know what they're doing..." Sora reminded, only to get a scoff from his Guardian Bakugan for making such a request.

"Hmph... I'm making no promise here." Leonidas assured, before Sora launched his Guardian Bakugan out for battle.

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora shouted out, as the Darkus Guardian Bakugan stood on Haos Manion's Gate Card, where the Haos Brawler narrowed his eyes at the power that Leonidas had.

"So that's the savage Bakugan everyone has been talking about, huh?" The Haos Brawler asked as he checked his Baku-Pod.

 **"Let the battle begin."** The Baku-Pod buzzed as Manion's Power Level was revealed to be 330 G's, with Leonidas' power being 400 G's.

"A power level of 400? This won't be easy... Careful, man." The Ventus Brawler warned, causing the Haos Brawler to smirk.

"No biggie... This won't take long! Gate Card, open! **Character**!" The Haos Brawler called out, as the Manion Character card was activated, doubling the sphinx Bakugan's power level up to 660 G's.

"A power level of 660 G's!? That's a huge problem for Leonidas there!" Marucho exclaimed as the Haos Brawler wasn't exactly done with his move.

"And that's not all! Ability Card, activate! **Alan Ray**! This should shoot Manion's Power Level up more by a 100 G's!" The Haos Brawler declared as the Ability Card boosted Manion's Power Level even further!

 **"Manion's Power Level increases to 760 G's. Leonidas remains at 400 G's."** The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing the Darkus Brawler to bite his lips before he pulled out an Ability Card to counter the power boost so that Leonidas could strike back.

"Don't count us out just yet! Ability Card, activate! **Shadow Scratch**!" Sora called out as the Ability Card pierced onto Manion's shadow, making the power boost it gained disappear!

 **"Gate Card cancelled... Reducing Manion's power by 150 G's due to Counter Ability..."** The Baku-Pod buzzed, bewildering the Haos Brawler as he watched Leonidas slash Manion away into the air!

"Huh!? No way!" The Haos Brawler exclaimed as he watched Manion return to ball form in its defeat.

 **Haos Brawler: 2 Bakugan**

 **05T**

Returning Leonidas to his hand, the Darkus Brawler sighed in relief to see Leonidas hasn't gotten really angry yet by battling against an opponent as the Haos Brawler prepared another Bakugan to launch.

"Argh! You're gonna pay for that kid! Watch and learn! Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl!" The Haos Brawler exclaimed as he threw a Gate Card next to Marucho's before sending in another Haos Bakugan to avenge its fallen comrade.

"Haos **El Condor** , stand!" The Haos Brawler declared, as a floating statue like Bakugan appeared to face the opponent.

 **06T**

"Okay, my turn! Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! **Juggernoid** , stand!" Marucho exclaimed as he threw another Gate Card next to the card where Beestriker was standing at. An Aquos Bakugan that looked like a turtle appeared to battle!

 **07T**

"Okay, kid! So that's how you want to play? Bakugan, brawl! Ventus **Gargonoid** , stand!" The Ventus Brawler exclaimed as he sent out the gargoyle Bakugan to face Juggernoid, allowing the second battle to begin.

 **"Battle continues... Gargonoid at 320 G's. Juggernoid at 330 G's."** The Baku-Pod buzzed, as the Gate Card was the first to open.

"Okay! Gate Card, open!" Marucho exclaimed, as the Aquos Reactor Gate Card opened up, boosting the turtle Bakugan's power level to 430 G's. But the Ventus Brawler wasn't going to let victory get away from him as he countered with an Ability Card.

"So you're not going to run away again, huh? That's perfectly fine! Ability Card, activate! **Solar Plexus**!" The Ventus Brawler exclaimed, as the sky turned dark, before a bright light shined on the Gate Card, causing Juggernoid to flinch.

"What the!?" Marucho exclaimed as he watched his Gate Card get nullified.

 **"Juggernoid's Power Level decrease to 280 G's."** The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing Sora to realize what this meant.

"This is bad! Juggernoid is going to be defeated if this keeps up! Marucho, do something!" Sora exclaimed, only for Marucho's reaction to come too late when Gargonoid knocked Juggernoid into the air!

 **Marucho: 2 Bakugan**

The two Brawlers watched as Juggernoid was forced into a dark dimension, before the portal to the dimension closed up. At seeing the portal, Sora realized what it led to as he widened his eyes in horror.

"N-No way... So that portal... it led Juggernoid into..." Sora started to say before Leonidas interrupted him.

"Yes... It led the Bakugan to the Doom Dimension. Once it's sent there, there's no coming back out of it." Leonidas explained sternly, causing Sora to glare at the two Brawlers, that were sneering in amusement for having defeated one enemy in battle!

 **08T**

"They think this is just a game... Leonidas..." Sora started to say, before the Guardian Bakugan rose up, understanding the new intention Sora had inside him now that he's seen what the Doom Dimension will be like for those that loses.

"Right..." was all Leonidas needed to say before he was inserted into Sora's Bakugan Launcher, as the Darkus Brawler launched Leonidas to where Beestriker flew.

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora exclaimed as the Guardian Bakugan faced Beestriker, causing the Ventus Brawler to be surprised at the sudden appearance, before he smirked devilishly.

"HAH! You fell for it, idiot! Gate Card, open! **Mind Ghost**!" The Ventus Brawler exclaimed, causing the Command Card to open and shine brightly! Marucho widened his eyes as he tried to warn Sora of what could happen.

"That's bad! Sora, you have to do something! Otherwise, that Mind Ghost card will send both Beestriker and Leonidas into the Doom Dimension!" Marucho exclaimed, shocking Sora before he quickly countered with an Ability Card.

"What!? No! Ability Card, activate! **Grand Down**!" Sora exclaimed, as he quickly negated the Gate Card's effect, preventing it from exploding both Bakugan standing on the Gate Card.

 **"Gate Card cancelled..."** The Baku-Pod informed the battlers, much to the Ventus Brawler's dismay and anger.

"Why you...!" The Ventus Brawler started to say before he watched Leonidas slash Beestriker away, causing it to be sent back to him in defeat in ball form.

 **Ventus Brawler: 2 Bakugan**

 **09T**

Getting Leonidas back from winning the battle, the Darkus Brawler took several deep breaths, confusing Marucho as he watched Sora in concern.

"Sora...? Is something wrong?" Marucho asked, as Leonidas opened up to hear what the Darkus Brawler was about to say.

"That was... close... Too close for comfort... If it weren't for you, Marucho... then Leonidas would've been sent to the Doom Dimension..." Sora breathed out, causing the Aquos Brawler to widen his eyes before he gave a small nod of understanding.

"Looks like he's a bit too scared to battle now..." Preyas stated, earning a glare from the Aquos Brawler.

"Preyas, that's not an appropriate thing to say right now! He nearly lost Leonidas in that battle!" Marucho scolded, causing the Aquos Bakugan to flinch at the stern tone before the Haos Brawler got ready to brawl again.

"So that's how you want to play, huh? Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! Haos **Fear Ripper** , stand!" The Haos Brawler called out, as he sent his third Gate Card next to where his El Condor stood. The ripper-like Bakugan appeared, allowing Marucho to make his turn.

 **10T**

"Let's be careful on this one, Preyas!" Marucho exclaimed, causing Preyas to gulp at this.

"W-Wait a minute! Shouldn't we talk about this before- Ah!" Preyas yelped as he was forced into the launcher for battle.

"Bakugan, brawl! Preyas, stand!" Marucho exclaimed as the Guardian Bakugan let out a loud battle cry before he faced Fear Ripper in battle!

"Aquos Preyas has arrived!" Preyas exclaimed, causing the Haos Brawler to scoff before he made the first move.

"Big mouth... But let's see if you can talk big after this! Gate Card, open! **Triple Battle**!" The Haos Brawler exclaimed, as a barrier formed to prevent Preyas from touching the opponent as he protested at this.

"What... Hey!? It's me you're fighting, for crying out loud!" Preyas exclaimed, causing the Ventus Brawler to sneer.

 **10T**

"He knows that, dumb Bakugan. The Command Card, Triple Battle, allows the teammate to send his own Bakugan to lend him some assistance! You're toast after this! Bakugan, brawl! Ventus Gargonoid, stand!" The Ventus Brawler exclaimed.

The gargoyle Bakugan roared as it joined forces with Fear Ripper, much to both Sora and Marucho's horror as the Aquos Brawler checked the Baku-Pod.

"This isn't good!" Marucho exclaimed as the combined power level doubled over Preyas' power!

 **"Gargonoid and Fear Ripper's Power Level combined to 620 G's. Preyas' Power Level at 300 G's."** The Baku-Pod buzzed, as the two Bakugan were ready to launch to where Preyas was!

"Preyas, look out!" Marucho exclaimed as the Guardian Bakugan paled in fear at being outnumbered in battle!

"No you don't! Ability Card, activate! **Co-Relationship Between Aquos and Darkus**! Leonidas, back Preyas up!" Sora called out as the Guardian Bakugan was sent to assist the Aquos Bakugan in battle!

The move bewildered the opponents and Marucho as Leonidas blocked the incoming attack with his wings!

 **"Leonidas and Preyas combined together 700 G's. Each Bakugan's Power Level increases by 100 G's, totaling to 900 G's."** The Baku-Pod buzzed, as Preyas watched the Darkus Bakugan in bewilderment.

"H-Hey... what's the big idea interrupting my big moment!? I was handling the situation here, Mr. Leo!" Preyas stuttered while trying to sound fearless, only to wince as the Darkus Bakugan glared at him in annoyance.

"If this 'big moment' of yours went on, you would've been sent on a one way trip to the Doom Dimension! Besides, I need some more warm-up for the real battles to begin!" Leonidas scoffed as he slashed Gargonoid away!

The same went for Fear Ripper was both Bakugan returned to their ball forms, both defeated in battle.

 **Haos Brawler: 1 Bakugan**

 **Ventus Brawler: 1 Bakugan**

"I don't believe it! We've been bested by them!?" The Haos Brawler exclaimed, as Sora was ready for more once Leonidas got back to his hand. The launcher was already set for another launch, with Leonidas being set and ready.

 **11T**

"And it'll start to get worse here now! Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora exclaimed as he launched Leonidas onto his first Gate Card, allowing him to appear, much to the Haos Brawler's annoyance.

"So now you're not battling!? So much for the 'get worse' part!" The Haos Brawler snapped angrily, before the Ventus Brawler set his final Bakugan to be ready.

"Of course he wouldn't be battling you now, especially since he doesn't have any more Ability Cards left, due to the stunt he had to pull because of that. But this doesn't change the fact that the victorious ones will be us!" The Ventus Brawler assured confidently.

"Foolish humans... Then be my guest and try to prove it!" Leonidas called out, causing the Ventus Brawler to shoot his last Bakugan.

"You asked for it, you savage excuse for a Bakugan! Bakugan, brawl! Ventus **Griffon** , stand!" The Ventus Brawler exclaimed as the griffin Bakugan roared to challenge Leonidas, who just glared back in response.

 **"Griffon's Power Level 350 G's. Leonidas' Power Level 400 G's."** The Baku-Pod buzzed. Marucho gave a glance towards the Darkus Brawler, noticing the change in him from when he was battling on.

Earlier, he looked a little timid, but determined enough to let the battle go on. But as the battle was progressing, he was looking a little more aggressive than before.

 _"Something's different about Sora now... Could it have to do with Juggernoid being sent to the Doom Dimension? Now that I think about it, he hasn't sent any of his other Bakugan besides Leonidas out in the entire battle..."_ Marucho thought as the battle went on.

"You're mine! Ability Card, activate! **Wing Burst**!" The Ventus Brawler exclaimed as the wind surrounded the two battling Bakugan, with Griffon stealing a little bit of power from the Darkus Guardian Bakugan.

 **"Power Level transferred. Griffon's Power Level increases to 400 G's. Leonidas' Power Level decreases to 350 G's."** The Baku-Pod buzzed, only for Sora to counter with the first Gate Card he had on the field.

"Don't think it's going to work that easily! Gate Card, open! **Energy Merge**! This will reverse the power exchange, but even worse for you!" Sora declared, as the Command Card drained Griffon's Power, before transferring it to Leonidas this time!

 **"Leonidas' Power Level increases to 450 G's. Griffon's Power Level decreases to 300 G's."** The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to the Ventus Brawler's horror.

"Are you kidding me!?" The Ventus Brawler exclaimed in shock as he watched Leonidas slam Griffon down with his tail! The griffin Bakugan roared in pain before it was returned to its ball form in defeat.

 **Ventus Brawler: 0 Bakugan**

 **12T**

"No! This can't be happening!" The Ventus Brawler exclaimed as he fell to his knees. The Haos Brawler just scoffed before Marucho began his move.

"Let's do this, Preyas! Bakugan, brawl!" Marucho exclaimed as he sent Preyas out to battle El Condor, who was the only remaining Bakugan left on the enemy's side. The Aquos Guardian Bakugan let out a battle cry again before he faced the Haos Bakugan.

"I'll be the one taking the glory this time, thank you very much!" Preyas assured confidently, before the Haos Brawler began the battle.

"Yeah, right! The only thing you'll be accomplishing is spouting out nonsense!" The Haos Brawler exclaimed until Marucho activated a card first.

"Then how's this for an answer!? Ability Card, activate! **Blue Stealth**!" Marucho exclaimed as the Ability Card made Preyas start to disappear and be invisible to El Condor's eyes!

"Now you see me... now you don't! Hah!" Preyas taunted eagerly, as the power exchange was done, with Preyas having 350 G's, and with El Condor having its power reduced to 290 G's. The exchange caused the Haos Brawler to try and counter such an ability.

"That won't help you! Gate Card, open!" The Haos Brawler exclaimed as he tried to open the Gate Card. But to his surprise...

"Why won't the Gate Card open!?" The Haos Brawler snapped angrily, causing Marucho to smirk and explain.

"Ah, yes... I must've forgotten! Blue Stealth not only steals 50 G's from your Bakugan to Preyas... It can even prevent your Gate Card from opening up, such as it is doing now!" Marucho explained with a confident expression.

"Why you little...!" The Haos Brawler snapped as he watched Preyas take El Condor down.

"HAI... YAH!" Preyas yelled as he kicked the Haos Bakugan to the ground, causing it to return to its ball form in defeat. The Haos Brawler fell to his knees, angry and upset for the loss he was forced to accept.

"Damn it!" was all the opponent could say as the field closed, due to the battle ending.

 **Haos Brawler: 0 Bakugan**

 **WIN: Sora and Marucho**

* * *

By the time the real world was returned to the four Brawlers' eyes, the four opponents that tried to corner them were all on the ground, all defeated from the battles they've had just now!

"Ugh... We lost!? I can't believe it!?" The Haos Brawler snapped angrily, before the Ventus Brawler started to get up to make his escape.

"These guys are no joke! Let's get out of here!" The Ventus Brawler exclaimed. No one needed to be told twice as the four enemies all made a run for it, much to the Darkus Bakugan's annoyance as he scoffed at the retreat.

"Hmph... Cowards." Leonidas scoffed, as Dan and Runo ran up to their two friends.

"Hey, guys... You two okay?" Dan asked, causing Marucho to respond back with the same question.

"We should be asking the two of you that! How are you guys?" Marucho asked, causing the Haos Brawler to shake her head in reassurance.

"We're fine... Those guys were pretty tough, though. They nearly cornered us, leaving us with only Drago and Tigrerra..." Runo explained, causing Sora to bite his lips. This meant that four of their Bakugan were sent to the Doom Dimension because of their defeat.

"And...? Looks like you both won that battle with those other two creeps!" Dan exclaimed, noticing on how Leonidas and Preyas were still with their Brawler partners.

"Yeah... I only lost one Bakugan. Sora didn't lose any because he only used Leonidas in that battle!" Marucho explained, catching both Dan and Runo by surprise. They looked at the Darkus Brawler, who winced at the attention he was getting from the two.

"Whoa, seriously...?" Dan breathed out in disbelief.

"But why just Leonidas? You had other Bakugan you were able to use in those battles, right?" Runo asked, causing Sora to shake his head before he tried to explain.

"I... didn't want to risk any of my Bakugan to be sent to the Doom Dimension... Leonidas was an exception, since he was probably used to battling difficult opponents he had to face during battles..." Sora explained sheepishly, despite his tone being a bit shaky.

Drago tensed, understanding on how Leonidas would battle. But to be used during the entire battle without any assistance from Sora's other Bakugan, it was kind of surprising... even for a Dragonoid like himself.

"Ah... I see..." Dan whispered out in understanding. The Haos Brawler said nothing before the Darkus Brawler started to take his leave.

"I... need some time for myself. I'll see you guy tomorrow if I could." Sora assured as he began to make his leave.

"Sora...?" Dan called out, only to be not heard as the Darkus Brawler was already quite a distance away from him, Runo, and Marucho. The three Brawlers looked at each other, before looking back to the walking Sora in concern.

"I think... the battle we were forced to be part of just now... made Sora a bit more concerned and probably... traumatized?" Marucho guessed, unsure of what to say after the battle.

"Traumatized...? Because he saw a Bakugan being sent to the Doom Dimension?" Runo asked, earning a nod from the Aquos Brawler. The Pyrus Brawler said nothing before he folded his arms, trying to think of something.

"Dan? Something wrong?" Marucho asked, only to get a shaking head from the Pyrus Brawler.

"Huh? Oh... It's nothing." Dan assured before he widened his eyes at something.

"Aw, nuts... I forgot! I was also supposed to buy something for Mom for dinner later! I'll catch you guys later!" Dan exclaimed as he dashed to make his quick leave, leaving Runo and Marucho be by their own.

"Okay...?" Runo spoke with a baffled expression.

 **Meanwhile...**

Sora was making his way towards his home, his face being darkened for what he had to experience today. Leonidas remained quiet on his shoulder, before he broke the silence with a serious question in mind.

"Were you that scared of the Doom Dimension?" Leonidas asked, causing Sora to stop in his tracks.

"What...?" Sora tried to ask, only to get a scoff from his Guardian Bakugan.

"Don't play dumb with me, Sora. I could tell just by looking at your face and watching your movements! You do realize that we'll be facing opponents like those kinds for a while? Especially when this masked human named Masquerade is still around..." Leonidas snapped.

But before he could lecture his human partner any further, that's when everything went crazy.

"I know..." Sora breathed out a whisper, catching Leonidas's attention.

"What?" Leonidas asked before Sora snapped.

"I KNOW, OKAY!? I KNOW THAT I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS IN CASE IF THERE ARE MORE BRAWLERS LIKE THAT WORKING FOR MASQUERADE!" Sora bellowed angrily, with tears starting to well in his eyes.

The outburst caught Leonidas completely off guard as he nearly fell back before he looked up at his human partner. To his surprise, the Darkus Brawler had tears welling up in his eyes before he continued to make his outburst.

"But still... BUT STILL! I hate it! I hate it so much! Why does the Doom Dimension even exist in the first place!? Why is it that there has to be a horrible dimension like that when Bakugan live in Vestroia! WHY!?" Sora snapped angrily.

At this point, tears were streaming down from his eyes, as his expression showed on how upset and frustrated he was. That one battle... That one battle where he got to see a Bakugan get sent to the Doom Dimension really hurt Sora...

The Guardian Bakugan couldn't say anything, as he knew that the next words he says might end up hurting his human partner even more. At remembering the question from Sora as to why such a dimension even existed, the Darkus Bakugan began to ponder over it.

 _"A horrible dimension... huh..."_ Leonidas thought before he began to speak to his human partner, gentler than before.

"Sora..." Leonidas started to say, catching Sora's attention as he turned his face to where Leonidas was, who was still on his shoulder.

"I... I'm sorry." Leonidas apologized, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise as he never expected to hear Leonidas saying something like that, especially when he was a Bakugan that always itched to battle, while offending those for who he believes that were weak.

"I may not... be able to understand your fear and hurt, but... all I do know is, is that I can at least be there for you whenever you need me, such as when we're in battle. If you truly hate the Doom Dimension and for the ones that send Bakugan there, then I believe you know what must be done." Leonidas explained calmly.

Sora knew the answer too, but remained silent. His face darkened once more as he slowly wiped away the tears that were streaming down his cheeks.

"Even as we speak now, Bakugan are probably being sent to the Doom Dimension because of the ones that are working for that masked human. In order to prevent more of this from happening..." Leonidas continued on before Sora finished for him.

"...I'll need to stand and fight." Sora finished, stopping the Guardian Bakugan from speaking any further, as he watched his human partner slowly start to stand, before he wiped the welling tears in his eyes.

"I'll... I'll stand and fight. Leonidas, if may be a hassle, but... I'm willing to fight hard if you're willing to lend me your strength." Sora said shakily, before the shaky tone started to lose its shakiness, causing Leonidas to gaze at him.

Then, a chuckle came from the Darkus Bakugan before he spoke his approval of willing to lend his power.

"Those are the words that I wanted to hear... Let's do this, Sora." Leonidas chuckled, causing Sora to smile back in response and give a small nod.

Neither of the two noticed that Dan was watching not too far from behind. The Pyrus Brawler smiled, with Drago seemingly approving of the two building a bond together with the fear Sora had inside him.

Realizing that Sora will be fine with Leonidas at his side, the Pyrus Brawler silently took his leave without having the need to say any words.

To be continued...

* * *

 **Sora's Ranking and Battles:**

 **Rank: 474**

 **W/L: 6/0**

 **Next chapters:**

 **Chapter 5: The Strongest Masked Brawler Is!?**

 **Chapter 6: Challenge to be a Battle Brawler!**

 **Chapter 7: Take the Fight or Flight!**

 **Chapter 8: The Challenge from the Mask**

 **Chapter 9: We Need Our Ventus Friend!**

 **Preview :**

 **Sora** \- Hey... This is Sora. Next time on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, I suddenly get a message from an unknown sender... It says that Dan was beaten in battle! And not only that, it's some battler who mopped the floor with him and play dirty! Just who does that!? No matter who it was, I just know that Leonidas and I will have to face him someday. Right, Leonidas? Let's show this guy where his place is!

 **Sora** \- Bakugan, brawl! Don't miss it!


	5. The Strongest Masked Brawler Is?

**Chapter 5:** **The Strongest Masked Brawler Is!?**

 **Dan** \- My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere! At first, they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game! That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all! They were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan! And together with my friends, Runo! Marucho! Julie! Not to mention Mr. Hotshot himself, Shun! And Alice! We are...

 **Battle Brawlers** \- The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

 **Dan** \- Bakugan! One goal, two worlds!

* * *

 **(Bakugan Battle Brawlers Opening 1)**

 ** _What are ya gonna do?_**

(Dan enters into battle with the field revealing itself)

 ** _The odds are stacked against you,  
Back against the wall,_**

(Dan and Masquerade activate their cards to begin battle)

(The two brawlers launch their Bakugan against each other)

 ** _You gotta give it your all,_**

(Sora floats with his Guardian Bakugan, Leonidas)

 ** _This is the final stand,_**

(Multiple scenes of different Bakugan appear)

 ** _The powers in your hand!_**

(Dan throws a Gate Card)

 ** _Two worlds collide,  
On the inside,_**

(Naga reaches for the Infinity and the Silent Core)

(Vestroia gets affected by Naga's actions)

(Drago uses Boosted Dragon on an opponent)

(Scenes of a masked brawler, and his Darkus Bakugan appear)

 ** _You got to fight for what's right,_**

(Sora raises an unknown card before the card glows)

 ** _Before it's gone,  
Gone, gone,  
This is Bakugan!_**

(Dan and Marucho prepares for battle while Sora and Runo waits)

(Dan returns a Bakugan with a grin)

(The title appears)

 **[Opening Ends]**

* * *

 **BOOM!**

"ARGH!" Drago yelled as he flew back, taking the hit from the attacks his opponent was giving him. Dan watched in horror to see his Guardian Bakugan get knocked down from the opponent's Bakugan as he tried to get Drago to keep fighting.

"Come on, Drago! You can do it! This should seal the deal! Ability Card, activate!" Dan called out as he revealed Drago's specialty.

" **Boosted Dragon**!" Drago yelled as he managed to recover before blasting the fireball to where the enemy was standing at. However, the unknown Brawler scoffed before he countered with his own Ability Card.

"Please... That's a sad move. Ability Card, activate! **Dark Sphere Impact**!" The unknown Brawler called out as his card made the unknown Bakugan glow with dark power! The Boosted Dragon power was wiped away, shocking both Dan and Drago.

"What!?"

"No way!" The two couldn't help but exclaim in surprise as the power from the Darkus Ability Card smashed into Drago in the air, much to the Dragonoid's displeasure as he roared in pain before being forced into his ball form in defeat.

"No! Drago!" Dan yelled as he watched his Guardian Bakugan get defeated.

 **Dan: 0 Bakugan**

 **WIN: Unknown**

* * *

With the battle being over, the battlefield became reality as Dan fell to one knee before he picked Drago up.

"Drago..." Dan breathed out in disbelief before he heard laughing from his victorious opponent.

"Please... THIS is the best that you can give us? I certainly don't understand why Masquerade thinks you're a nuisance when you and that Dragonoid of yours are a complete joke together!" The Brawler smirked evilly.

"Be quiet! You just got lucky in that battle! But... with the way you battled... just what kind of a Bakugan Brawler are you?" Dan asked angrily as he stood up, only for the Darkus Brawler to sneer before he turned his back onto the Pyrus Brawler.

"Let's just say... that I'm the strongest Bakugan Brawler there is, maybe even stronger than Masquerade. You're lucky that I didn't bother on using the Doom Card to send your precious Bakugan to the Doom Dimension..." The Darkus Brawler smirked.

He began to walk off with his Guardian Bakugan on his shoulder as Dan watched angrily, before he looked down at his defeated Pyrus Bakugan.

"Man, oh man... I'm sorry, Drago. We lost that battle..." Dan apologized, before Drago opened up.

"It's not your fault, Daniel. But still... that Bakugan we fought... it felt like I was up against one of the strongest Bakugan, a Bakugan probably even stronger than how Naga was back at Vestroia..." Drago admitted.

The feeling of the brutal defeat he was forced to take came back to the Pyrus Bakugan's thoughts before he shook a little. Dan frowned, understanding the terrible feeling that his Guardian Bakugan felt before he remembered something.

Taking out his Baku-Pod, the Pyrus Brawler began to make several emails to each of his friends, along with the other Bakugan players that could be targeted by the Brawler he had lost against just now.

"What are you doing?" Drago asked, allowing his human partner to answer as Dan continued on with making messages about the mysterious Brawler.

"If this masked creep targets other Bakugan players, then I need to warn everyone about this new guy! They might know about him already, but it never hurts to warn them about the new enemy of Bakugan..." Dan explained.

With the email all typed down, the Pyrus Brawler was able to sent it through his Baku-Pod. Once he did so, he bit his lips, feeling even more determined to overcome his enemies as quickly and smoothly as he can.

"We didn't stand a chance in that battle... Hey, Drago. How about we get some training done so we can prepare the next time we have that battle against that masked creep?" Dan asked, earning a nod from his Guardian Bakugan.

"That sounds fine... I could use a little warm up in battling so that I can be more prepared with whatever I might have to face later on." Drago agreed, allowing the Pyrus Brawler to nod before he began to make his way out of the construction area.

 **Meanwhile...**

Sora was typing up something in his computer until he received a message, causing him to blink in surprise as he opened it.

"Huh? What's this... Wait, what the!?" Sora started to question before he widened his eyes in both shock and disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Leonidas asked as he rolled up on Sora's desk, before the Darkus Brawler explained of what he read just now.

"It says here Drago was beaten by some Bakugan! Dan couldn't believe it!" Sora exclaimed, with Leonidas turning to where the message was shown. His tone shifted from concerned to amusement as he asked.

"Really...? Does it say which Bakugan beat him?" Leonidas asked, only to get a shaking head from the Darkus Brawler.

"No... Just that they play dirty and mopped the floor with him. Who would do that...?" Sora asked as he fell back into his chair, before scratching the back of his head.

"My guess would be another member of that human you call Masquerade... So what are you going to do now?" Leonidas asked, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise.

"What do you mean what am I going to do?" Sora asked, allowing his Guardian Bakugan to explain.

"If Drago was defeated in battle, then that means this Bakugan might go after the other humans you call friends, along with the other Bakugan... Preyas and Tigrerra. You just gonna sit there and wait for our turn to come while they suffer from that Bakugan?" Leonidas asked.

The serious question left the Darkus Brawler a bit baffled at the thought of him letting his friends suffer. But for Leonidas to say it like that shocked him the most.

"That's not..." Sora found himself unable to speak with the question drilling into his mind before his face darkened. His Guardian Bakugan awaited for his answer patiently before he looked to see Sora raising his head with a sigh.

"No... I don't plan on waiting for that Bakugan or that Brawler to come around and wipe the floor with us. We'll have to find this Brawler ourselves if we have to." Sora declared, causing Leonidas to chuckle.

"Hmph... Glad to hear it." Leonidas grunted before he hopped onto Sora's shoulder, allowing the Darkus Brawler to take his leave. Soon, Sora was out heading to the town to meet up with his friends...

That is, if he could find any of them.

 **Later...**

As Sora walked around in town, in hopes of finding hints for the Brawler that played dirty in his or her battle against Dan, the Darkus Brawler noticed a figure heading into the amusement park, catching his attention.

"Could that be the guy...? Hey!" Sora demanded as he ran after the figure. The figure seemed to have heard him as it ran off to the amusement park, causing the Darkus Brawler to make chase.

As the chase went on, it continued to go on until they were at the center of the amusement park. Just when it looked like Sora was getting closer to the figure, the figure suddenly stopped in his tracks, with his back turned to Sora.

"Alright, I want some answers! Are you the one that played dirty with Dan by beating Drago in a battle!?" Sora snapped. Leonidas got onto his shoulder, growling at whoever could be the culprit to Drago's defeat.

But instead of a response, the figure started to shake... shaking from laughing?

"What's so funny?" Sora asked sharply, only to get more laughing before the figure turned! He unveiled himself from the dark cloak he was using to hide his face and himself from plain sight.

"What...?" Sora gaped in disbelief as the figure he chased after was...

"Hah! I got you now, you little punk! I didn't think you were this stupid enough to chase me all the way here!" Shuji laughed, much to Sora's disbelief as he sweat dropped at the bully that he had to battle against first in his first Bakugan battle.

"Are you kidding me? You? You can't possibly have defeated Dan and Drago in a battle." Sora stated in disbelief, only to get a glare from the bully.

"Say what!? I can beat them as many times as I can! I've gotten a whole lot stronger than the last time we fought, kid! Heck, even the Battle Brawlers wouldn't stand a chance against me even if they tried!" Shuji assured confidently.

Sweat dropping, the Darkus Brawler face palmed at the bully's stupidity at what he just said just now.

"You serious...? With what you just said, it proves that you didn't even try battling against Dan with your so-called improved skills." Sora pointed out, causing the bully to pale in realization while Leonidas just scoffed.

"Foolish human... He certainly doesn't seem to know his place, yet he claimed to have beaten Drago in battle. Pathetic." Leonidas scoffed harshly, one that Sora didn't reprimand for. Because right now, the Darkus Brawler had to agree with his Guardian Bakugan.

"Anyways, I don't have time to deal with you! That Brawler that beat Dan could still be around here! If you're here, then I recommend that you get out of here as soon as possible. Because this Brawler can be quite dangerous..." Sora reminded calmly.

"You making fun of me!? I don't care how _dangerous_ this Brawler might be! If I beat him, then this could prove I'm more stronger than Dan and his Battle Brawler friends! I'll be the one to beat him if I have to!" Shuji declared angrily.

 _"This guy is nuts if he think he can beat the Brawler that beat Dan at the level he is in..."_ Sora thought before the bully pointed at him.

"And just to prove how wrong you are, I'll pummel you to the ground like I should've the last time! You won't be so lucky with my new battling skills!" Shuji declared before he took out Field Card to challenge the Darkus Brawler.

Sora raised an eyebrow before he took out a Field Card, as he gave a glance towards his Guardian Bakugan.

"Well, Leonidas? You ready to wipe the floor with him? This could be a good warmup for you to have for the upcoming battle that could be even tougher than the last battles we've had so far." Sora asked.

"Hmph... As long as I battle, then there's no problem. Let's get this over with." Leonidas grunted before he turned into his ball form, getting ready to battle. With those words said, there was nothing more to say as the two battlers opened the field.

"Field, Open!"

* * *

 **Sora** **VS Shuji**

"Gate Card, set!"

The two Gate Cards were thrown by the two battlers as the cards enlarged themselves to a bigger size for the preparations to be done with.

 **01T**

"Ready or not... Here I come! Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!" Shuji yelled as he sent his first Bakugan to land on his Gate Card. The Subterra **Mantris** appeared, roaring at its appearance in battle.

 **02T**

"Let's get this over with quick! Leonidas! Bakugan, brawl! **Leonidas** , stand!" Sora yelled as he sent his Guardian Bakugan to face Mantris. The dragon Bakugan roared before it faced Mantris, causing Shuji to widen his eyes at the appearance of Leonidas.

"That Bakugan is giving me bad memories of our last battle...! No more! Gate Card, open!" Shuji yelled.

He activated the Subterra Reactor Gate Card, allowing Mantris' Power Level to boost from 310 to 460 G's.

"And next is this! Ability Card, activate! **Slice Cutter**!" Shuji yelled as the energy from the Ability Card was thrown to where Mantris stood. At the power it gained from the card, the mantis Bakugan roared before it shot a painful energy for Leonidas to take!

"ARGH!" Leonidas grunted as he felt the attack striking at him hard.

 _"Leonidas' Power Level decreases to 350 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing Sora to narrow his eyes before he countered with an Ability Card of his own.

"Don't think that'll slow us down! Ability Card, activate! **Oregano Revenge**!" Sora shouted out. The Ability Card surrounded Mantris for a while before it surrounded Leonidas, giving him the power it had taken from Mantris!

"What the...!?" Shuji yelped as he checked the Baku-Pod to see the power changing.

 _"Oregano Revenge has activated... Mantris' Power Level decreases to 360 G's. Leonidas' Power Level increases to 450 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed. The bully widened his eyes in horror to see Mantris getting smacked high into the air by Leonidas' slash attack!

The mantis Bakugan roared before it returned to its ball form in defeat.

 **Shuji: 2 Bakugan**

 **03T**

"No way!" Shuji gasped as Leonidas returned to Sora.

"Had enough?" Sora asked, as he was starting to get a little pumped up from the advantage he had against the bully. But as stubborn as always, Shuji took out another Gate Card to make another battle.

"You wish, kid! Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! **Wormquake** , stand!" Shuji yelled as the new Subterra Bakugan came into play. This time, it was the form of a giant sand worm with a deadly appearance!

 **04T**

"Creepy... Ready to go again, Leonidas?" Sora asked, only to get a scoff from his Guardian Bakugan.

"Do you really have to ask? I'm always ready!" Leonidas assured, causing the Darkus Brawler to send his Bakugan into battle.

"If you say so... Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora shouted out as Leonidas faced Wormquake, while standing at Shuji's Gate Card once more!

"You're gonna get pummeled this time, kid! You and that Bakugan of yours! Gate Card, open! **Energy Merge**! With this, Wormquake gets to steal 100 G's from your Bakugan!" Shuji yelled as the Command Card began to take effect.

 _"Power Level transferred. Leonidas' Power Level decreases to 300 G's. Wormquake increases to 390 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, as the bully was ready with another Ability Card to use and play!

"Now you're done for sure, kid! Ability Card, activate! **Earth Power**! With this, an extra 50 G's will be added to Wormquake, making its Power Level 440 G's!" Shuji declared as the ability boosted Wormquake even further!

"Hmph! Pathetic!" Leonidas scoffed as Sora countered with another Ability Card of his own.

"Don't think that'll work! Ability Card, activate! **Grand Down**!" Sora called out, as the Ability Card negated the Command Card, causing the power exchange to reverse! Instead of Wormquake gaining power, it ended up in losing the boosted power to Leonidas.

 _"Gate Card cancelled. Leonidas now at 400 G's. Wormquake decrease to 340 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to Shuji's dismay as he watched Wormquake get struck to the ground by the Darkus Bakugan.

"No! Not again! Why is this happening!?" Shuji snapped as he watched Wormquake revert to its ball form in defeat.

 **Shuji: 1 Bakugan**

 **05T**

"Just one more left and we can continue our search..." Sora grunted as Leonidas remained in his ball form, as he wanted to continue battling on. Shuji on the other hand, stomped on the ground several times in irritation.

"Argh... UGH! You're starting to make me real angry, kid! And you're gonna pay! Bakugan, brawl!" Shuji yelled as he sent his last Subterra Bakugan on Sora's Gate Card, this time. The Bakugan that appeared itself was a Subterra **Manion**!

 **06T**

Wasting no time, the Darkus Brawler had sent out Leonidas to face Manion to make this battle quick. As soon as Leonidas was sent out, Shuji was already making his move.

"Ability Card, activate! **Alan Ray**!" Shuji yelled as the Ability Card boosted Manion's Power Level, allowing it to exceed over Leonidas' power.

 _"Manion's Power Level increases to 420 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed until Sora countered differently.

"With the way you're battling, you're only boring Leonidas with those moves. Gate Card, open! **Character**! And Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**!" Sora yelled as he created a combo to double Leonidas' power even further!

 _"Character Card activated. Leonidas' Power Level increases to 1200 G's, due to the effect of the Ability, Alpha Blaster."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to Shuji's horror as he gaped at the huge amount of power Leonidas gained just now.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!? 1200 G's!? HOW COULD THAT HAPPEN!?" Shuji yelled as he watched and screamed to see the energy blast blasting Manion into the air, leading to the bully's defeat against the Darkus Brawler.

 **Shuji: 0 Bakugan**

 **WIN: Sora**

* * *

With the battle over, the field closed and Shuji was on his knees, frustrated with another defeat he was forced to take from Sora.

"Augh... URGH! This isn't over yet, kid! I'll be back before you know it! So make sure to get ready to lose once I return!" Shuji yelled as he ran off crying, leaving the bewildered Darkus Brawler behind.

"Seriously...?" Sora asked himself, with Leonidas unimpressed with the opponents he had to fight just now. Just before he could take another step to find more clues as to where the Brawler could be, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Ugh... seriously? If it's another Brawler that wants to battle, then...!" Sora started to say as he turned around, only to widen his eyes in surprise to see both Dan and Marucho staring at him in both concern and surprise.

"Dude... You okay there?" Dan asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to widen his eyes before he shook his head as he faced the Pyrus Brawler.

"I'm... fine, wait... That's what I should be asking you and Drago! You okay?" Sora asked, causing the Pyrus Brawler to grin in response.

"Oh yeah! We're just fine! It's the loss that struck us hard! But we're okay now. Right, Drago?" Dan asked, causing the Dragonoid to give a grunt before he made his response.

"Yes... But to think there was a Bakugan that was on a higher level than Reaper..." Drago admitted as he sighed, causing Sora to raise an eyebrow before Marucho questioned the Darkus Brawler.

"What were you doing just now? You looked like you were searching for someone." Marucho asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to explain.

"Well... I was looking for the Brawler that defeated both Dan and Drago in a battle." Sora explained, shocking the two along with their Guardian Bakugan.

"WHAT!?" The two cried out in surprise, catching Sora by surprise as Preyas panicked to hear the two making such a crazy idea.

"Are you NUTS!? If Drago couldn't defeat this scary Bakugan, what makes you think the two of you can!? Didn't you hear him? It was a Bakugan that was much stronger than that Reaper Bakugan that Drago was able to beat so many times!" Preyas snapped.

"You think we didn't hear. We did. But nevertheless, we still plan on tracking them down." Leonidas grunted, much to Drago's disapproval.

"But why? You must know the risks of having to battle that Bakugan along with the Brawler. If they are on equal level with Masquerade or even higher, then even you will have a difficult time on defeating them, Leonidas!" Drago snapped.

Leonidas turned to the Pyrus Bakugan and growled, annoyed with how both Drago and Preyas were putting him down because of what the Pyrus Bakugan wasn't able to do when he and Dan had to fight against the unknown enemy.

"Don't underestimate me, Drago. I'm not as weak as you think... Heck, I assure that you that I am stronger than you think I might be! I will defeat all Bakugan, including you, along with the rest of your Bakugan friends!" Leonidas snapped, catching both Drago and Preyas by surprise.

Sora frowned, but allowed his Guardian Bakugan to continue talking as the Darkus Bakugan assured of what he was going to accomplish, no matter how difficult the obstacle may be.

"No matter who faces me, they will fall, regardless of whether they're invincible or not!" Leonidas declared loudly, causing the three humans, Drago, and Preyas to remain speechless. The people that heard the conversation all gave glances to the three Brawlers.

Noticing this, Marucho gestured for the two to move on so they don't attract unwanted attention.

"C-Come on... Let's go, you guys. We're getting eyes on us from everywhere." Marucho insisted as he pushed Dan and Sora to get them moving. The boys moved without hesitation as they moved to another part of the amusement park.

Eventually, they were all riding on the Ferris Wheel together, where they continued their conversation about the dirty fighting Brawler, along with his powerful Guardian Bakugan that defeated Drago.

"So you're willing to go along with this, Sora? This guy works with Masquerade. He definitely has a Doom Card if they're working together. The last thing I remember, was that you looked traumatized when you saw one of Marucho's Bakugan get sent to the Doom Dimension." Dan reminded.

The Darkus Brawler grimaced at the dark past of what he had seen a few days ago... at what he had seen of what happens to the Bakugan that loses to the ones that work with Masquerade.

"I know... and that's still bothering me, but..." Sora started to say before he stopped, much to Marucho's confusion.

"But...?" Marucho asked, allowing Sora to continue on speaking before he made up his mind.

"If I stay as a coward and don't fight back like you guys do, then there will be trouble... Big trouble if I don't get my head in the game. Bakugan being sent to the Doom Dimension because they lose... It's just not right." Sora declared calmly.

Dan gave a small smile at the response, while Marucho just smiled as well, while adjusting his glasses.

"I hear you, man... And it seems like Leonidas get what you're saying." Dan pointed out, before he glanced to see Leonidas turning his head away from the two Brawlers, scoffing once again in annoyance.

With Marucho and Dan approving of what Sora wants to do next, their time in the Ferris Wheel was up. With the three of them getting out, Leonidas suddenly tensed up, catching the others' attention.

"Something up, Leonidas?" Sora asked, before he turned to see where his Guardian Bakugan was looking at. In the midst of the crowd, there was another hooded figure! Widening his eyes, Sora began to make chase after the hooded figure.

"Sora!?" Dan cried out as he and Marucho went after the Darkus Bakugan. The figure had also took notice of Sora coming towards him as he ran off, making the second chase begin, with Sora gritting his teeth.

"Hey! Come back here!" Sora snapped as he picked up the pace to catch up with the figure. Dan and Marucho weren't too far from behind as they joined in with the chase. The chase went on, from out of the amusement park and into the marketplace.

Then, it started to slow down as the figure turned to the right to where an alleyway was. Despite of being a little out of breath, the Darkus Brawler continued on and ran after the retreating figure, before the figure stopped.

He was surrounded by other buildings, leaving him nowhere to run. As he turned to give a glance at his pursuers, the three Brawlers managed to catch up and catch their breaths as they confronted the unknown figure.

"Are you the real deal this time...? The one that defeated Dan and Drago in battle, while playing dirty?" Sora asked, with Leonidas growling. Dan and Marucho glared as well, with Drago and Preyas getting ready for what could be coming up next.

But the figure just shook, smirking evilly before he responded to the question.

"Why yes, that would be me. And I take it you're Sora Minazuki? The newbie Brawler who teamed up with a savage Darkus Bakugan called Leonidas?" The hooded figure asked, catching the three Brawlers by surprise.

"How do you know about that? Are you teamed up with Masquerade!?" Sora asked, causing the hooded figure to smirk again before he responded.

"And so what if I am? Seeing people stress over their banished Bakugan and crying over it is what proves that me... and my Bakugan are the strongest, compared to those losers." The figure sneered evilly.

"Whoa, what did you say!? Losers!? Are you talking about me and the other Bakugan players that you beat!?" Dan snapped, stepping up before Drago warned Dan to stand down.

"Don't listen to him, Dan! If we battle him now, then there's no telling of what he'll do!" Drago warned, causing the Pyrus Brawler to grit his teeth before he backed down, allowing the insult to get through to his mind.

"As for how I know you, I've been watching your battles for the past few days... And to be honest, it was pretty funny. Those battles you had, you call those real Bakugan battles?" The figure asked, causing Sora to narrow his eyes.

"And so what if I do?" Sora retorted, causing the figure to laugh at that.

"Hilarious... Because compared to my battles, the battles you had meant nothing!" The figure declared as he unveiled himself, revealing as to who he was. The three Brawlers widened their eyes at what he really looked like in front of their eyes.

The unveiled Brawler looked like some sort of Brawler that works for the darkness. He wore a white mask that covers the left side of his face. He is dressed completely in black, has pointed eyebrows, red eyes, and silver hair with red streaks. He also wore a long black coat with a frayed tail.

"So who are you really...?" Sora asked cautiously, as the masked Brawler smirked, before he folded his arms.

"I'm Marduk, the greatest Brawler in the world! Now that you and your friends are here, how about we have a little battle? Mano a Mano. Meet Vladitor!" Marduk declared as a Darkus Bakugan floated up, revealing itself to the three Brawlers and their Guardian Bakugan.

"I am Vladitor... The lord of all Bakugan! The Doom Dimension awaits all those who defy me!" Vladitor declared darkly, causing Sora to narrow his eyes.

"So that's the Bakugan... that's been causing trouble to all other Bakugan players and their Bakugan..." Sora breathed out as Marucho checked the power that the Darkus Bakugan had inside him.

"Whoa... I can't believe his Power Level! Check it out!" Marucho exclaimed as he revealed Vladitor's Power Level, which was revealed to be... 450 G's!?

 _"450 G's...!? That's even higher than Leonidas'!"_ Sora thought in shock before he looked back at the Darkus Brawler.

"So what's it going to be, big shot? Scared?" Marduk taunted, only for Dan to growl and step up to side with his friend.

"Hold on, Marduk! Did you forget already!? We have some unfinished business after what you did to Drago!" Dan snapped, causing the Pyrus Bakugan to look up at his human partner, as Vladitor scoffed.

"Drago is no match for me. But I'm interested in you, Leonidas. You're different from the others. I can feel it... Darkness sleeps inside of you!" Vladitor explained as he inspected the Darkus dragon Bakugan.

Twitching his eyes in annoyance, Sora took out his Field Card to get ready to battle.

"What a load of crud! Leonidas, let's put this guy in his place!" Sora snapped, with Dan and Marucho taking out their Field Cards also. Marduk smirked before he took out his Field Card, as Vladitor continued his conversation with Leonidas.

"My army needs a general, Leonidas. Join me... and together, we will beat ALL Bakugan!" Vladitor declared, causing Preyas to panic.

"All Bakugan!? T-This guy is really serious, isn't he?" Preyas gasped, as Leonidas scoffed at the offer.

"Vladitor... I'm in a generous mood. I don't know who you are. But things will get ugly if you don't get out of my sight! NOW!" Leonidas snarled, causing Vladitor to laugh in amusement before he spoke.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Most amusing... I think I'll make an example of you... By crushing you! Here and now!" Vladitor declared, allowing the four Brawlers to open the field and begin the battle between two Darkus Brawlers.

"FIELD, OPEN!"

The Attribute Hexagram surrounded the four Brawlers to let the Bakugan battlefield open.

* * *

 **Sora** **VS Marduk**

"Doom Card, set!" Marduk called out as he threw the Doom Card that would threaten Sora's Bakugan later on if one of them were to lose. Being cautious about it, Sora took a deep breath before he took out his first Gate Card to throw it, with Marduk doing the same.

"Gate Card, set!"

The two Gate Cards expanded to large sizes to let the Bakugan fight on the cards as Sora began the battle by making the first move.

 **01T**

"Here goes nothing... Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Stinglash** , stand!" Sora called out as the scorpion Bakugan appeared on his Gate Card, roaring at appearing on the battlefield. Smirking, Marduk takes out a Bakugan for himself to use and send out!

 **02T**

"Big deal... Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Laserman** , stand!" Marduk yelled as the machine-like Bakugan appeared to battle on Marduk's Gate Card. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Sora was about to make the next move until Marduk took out an Ability Card.

"Don't think that's all that I'm about to do! Ability Card, activate! **Leap** **Sting**!" Marduk called out as Laserman suddenly turned to where Stinglash was standing at!

"Uh oh... That doesn't look good!" Dan exclaimed as Laserman began to shoot at Stinglash with its lasers and gun power! The multiple shots left the scorpion Bakugan cornered as it screeched in pain from the hits it was getting.

"My Leap Sting ability allows any Darkus Attributed Bakugan to attack any other Bakugan, whether they're on the same or different Gate Card! Your pathetic Bakugan is toast, kid!" Marduk exclaimed as a portal to the Doom Dimension opened up.

"Ah... NO! STINGLASH!" Sora yelled as he watched his first Darkus Bakugan get sent to the Doom Dimension.

 **Sora: 2 Bakugan**

At the opponent's defeat, Laserman returned to Marduk's hand, who just smirked triumphantly. Sora on the other hand, had his eyes widened still in shock before he closed them, clenching his fists at the same time.

 **03T**

"Sora..." Dan breathed out, concerned for the Darkus Brawler before Sora continued the battle with a dark tone.

"Gate Card... SET!" Sora exclaimed as he threw his next Gate Card next to Marduk's first before he sent out another Bakugan.

"Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Saurus** , stand!" Sora exclaimed as the Darkus dinosaur-like Bakugan appeared to face Marduk, who just narrowed his eyes with an unimpressed tone.

 **04T**

"That's the best thing you can do? No matter. Gate Card, set!" Marduk called out as he threw his second Gate Card on the left of his first.

"Bakugan, brawl! **Reaper** , stand!" Marduk exclaimed as Dan and Drago both perked up at hearing the familiar Bakugan's name. The Darkus Reaper chuckled darkly at being called out to battle as he faced Sora.

"Heads up, kid..." Reaper grunted, causing Sora to twitch his eyes before he turned to where Leonidas was floating at.

 **05T**

"It's your turn now, Leonidas... Are you ready?" Sora asked, his voice acting angry, but hesitant at the same time.

"I'm ready, Sora. What about you?" Leonidas asked, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise.

"What...?" Sora asked, causing the Darkus Bakugan to continue with his question.

"Are YOU ready to take the risks and send me out? Because if you aren't, then we're going to have a problem." Leonidas reminded, causing Sora to frown before he gave a sharp nod, saying that he was ready to go.

"I'm... aware of the risks and ready. This is one battle we can't lose at!" Sora declared, earning a small chuckle from the Darkus Bakugan.

"That's what I like to hear!" Leonidas exclaimed as he curled himself up into his ball form before he let the Darkus Brawler sent him out to face Reaper.

"Let's turn up the heat, Leonidas! Bakugan, stand!" Sora exclaimed as the Darkus dragon Bakugan roared at being sent out to face Reaper, who readied his scythe to counter back if he needed to.

"This should be interesting..." Reaper sneered as Sora got ready to battle.

"Okay, Leonidas! Get him!" Sora exclaimed, until Marduk countered.

"Not so fast, Mr. Hotshot! Gate Card, open! **Third Judgement**!" Marduk declared, making the Command Card reveal itself!

"Did he just say Third Judgement!?" Marucho exclaimed as Leonidas found himself unable to move! The dragon Bakugan roared as he growled angrily for not being able to move a muscle.

"W-What is this!? Why can't I move!?" Leonidas demanded angrily, allowing the opponent to explain.

 **06T**

"As long as the Command Card, Third Judgement is in play... The battle will only continue on when there are three Bakugan in play! Only one get to survive! As for me... Bakugan, brawl! Laserman, stand!" Marduk exclaimed.

The robot-like Bakugan appeared alongside Reaper, combining their Power Level to a whole level above Leonidas!

"Aw, snap! That makes two against one! Even Leonidas won't stand a chance if he's outnumbered like this!" Dan exclaimed as Sora gritted his teeth before he checked his Baku-Pod to see how much power his opponent had together.

 _"Laserman enters the battle. Combined Power Level increases up to 730 G's. Leonidas remains at 400 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing the two Darkus Bakugan to launch their attack onto Leonidas!

A slash from the scythe made Leonidas roar in pain before Laserman shot lasers and fire power to inflict even more pain to the Guardian Bakugan. The Darkus Brawler widened his eyes in horror before he tried to counter with an Ability Card.

"No... No! I won't lose Leonidas over this battle! Ability Card, activate! **Reverse Blow**!" Sora exclaimed as he threw an Ability Card to force Leonidas back into his hand. Marduk blinked in surprise at the withdrawal of his opponent.

"Say what!?" Marduk exclaimed as Leonidas was safely returned to the Darkus Brawler's hand.

"Leonidas... Are you okay?" Sora asked, causing Leonidas to open up and look up at his human partner.

"Yes... I'm fine. But why did you...?" Leonidas asked, until Marduk scoffed at the stunt Sora had pulled just now.

"You little punk... You think you can just run and get away with it, huh? Well, you're wrong! Reaper, end this now!" Marduk demanded, catching the three Brawlers and their Guardian Bakugan by surprise.

"Say what!? But Leonidas is out of the battle!" Dan exclaimed as Marduk smirked.

"Didn't you hear me? Only one Bakugan gets to survive on the Third Judgement card! And there's only one Bakugan left with the higher Power Level! Do it, Reaper!" Marduk exclaimed, allowing Reaper to waste no more time before he slashed at Laserman!

The robot-like Bakugan was sent flying to where the portal to the Doom Dimension was, ending in Reaper's victory before he returned to Marduk's hand!

"D-Did he just do what I think he did...!? He just sent his own Bakugan to the Doom Dimension!" Marucho exclaimed in disbelief as Preyas floated back, sounding a little scared from what he had seen.

"D-Dude! That's just wrong!" Preyas exclaimed as Marduk called Reaper back into his hand.

 **Marduk: 2 Bakugan**

"Hmph... One less Bakugan to worry about." Marduk smirked, causing Sora to widen his eyes at the lack of care Marduk had for his Bakugan.

"How can you... say that?" Sora asked as he clenched his fists.

Marduk only gave an evil smirk before he taunted his opponent.

"Well, what are you going to do? Glare at me to death? You might as well surrender now if you want your other Bakugan spared from the pain and misery they might spend at the Doom Dimension!" Marduk taunted, causing Dan to grit his teeth.

"That's completely messed up! Stop trying to get into his head!" Dan snapped before Sora bit his lips. He slowly rose to his feet before he glared to where his enemy stood, having the evil smirk on his face.

 **07T**

"No more... Gate Card, set!" Sora exclaimed as he threw his final Gate Card next to his second Gate Card on the left before he held Leonidas up.

"No more retreats, I hope. You ready for Round 2?" Sora asked, causing the Guardian Bakugan to respond with a grunt.

"Of course. Let's go!" Leonidas exclaimed before he turned into his ball form to allow himself to be thrown into the game once again.

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora exclaimed as his Guardian Bakugan flew into the air, ready to battle once more.

 **08T**

"Hmph... So you're stepping up. Bakugan, brawl! Reaper, stand!" Marduk exclaimed as he sent Reaper to where Saurus was! Sora widened his eyes before he tried to fight back with his second Bakugan.

"He's going for Saurus next! Gate Card, open! **Character**!" Sora exclaimed as the Character Card doubled Saurus' Power Level.

 _"Saurus' Power Level doubles to 580 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, before Marduk smirked in response.

"How pathetic... Ability Card, activate! **Grand Down**!" Marduk called as the Ability Card negated the Character card, reducing Saurus' Power Level to its original state.

 _"Saurus' Power Level reduces to 290 G's. Reaper remains at 370 G's."_ The Baku-Pod informed, much to Sora's horror.

"No... NO! SAURUS!" Sora yelled as he watched Reaper slashing Saurus into the Doom Dimension! The Darkus Bakugan was soon out of sight, with Dan and Marucho both watching in horror as well.

 **Sora: 1 Bakugan**

They both whirled their heads to see Sora's face darkening once again, with his body shaking.

"Sora..." Dan spoke out, unable to comfort his friend while Marucho just bit his lips, feeling nothing but sadness for his Darkus Brawler ally.

 **09T**

As Reaper returned to Marduk's hand, the Darkus Brawler sneered at the trembling body of his opponent.

"It seems someone is scared just because of some weak Bakugan being banished to the Doom Dimension. But don't worry, kid. Once this battle is over, they won't be alone, because your Guardian Bakugan there will join them soon!" Marduk assured before he turned to Vladitor.

"Vladitor... It's your turn now!" Marduk exclaimed as his Guardian Bakugan was surrounded with dark aura.

"Yes... And I will be putting Leonidas in his place, just as I did with the other Bakugan!" Vladitor assured before he curled up in his ball form, allowing the Darkus Brawler to launch Vladitor out to where Leonidas stood.

"Prepare yourself for a tough battle! Bakugan, brawl! **Vladitor** , stand!" Marduk yelled as the dark soldier Bakugan rose, before facing Leonidas, who growled back in response at seeing his opponent's true form.

"Vladitor..." Leonidas breathed out while Vladitor just sneered.

"Battle!" Sora and Marduk gave the orders for the battle to begin, as both Leonidas and Vladitor clashed together! The two aimed their attacks, both missing until they held onto each other, hand to hand as they struggled to overpower one another!

"This power... Just what kind of a Bakugan are you!? You say that I'm different, but what about you!?" Leonidas snapped as Vladitor laughed.

"I'm different, because I reign over the weak Bakugan that dared to oppose me! You're nothing different from them once I take you down, Leonidas!" Vladitor assured confidently, with Leonidas twitching his eyes in anger.

"Don't take me as a weakling, Vladitor! You'll regret calling me as the same as the other Bakugan you've defeated!" Leonidas roared, as Sora opened his Gate Card to raise the power of the battle right now.

"Gate Card, open!" Sora exclaimed as the Darkus Reactor Gate Card opened up, boosting both of Leonidas and Vladitor's power as they had the same Attributes together.

 _"New battle begins. Vladitor's Power Level increases to 550 G's. Leonidas' Power Level increases to 500 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed.

"No good! That's still not enough power to even overwhelm Vladitor!" Dan exclaimed as the battle continued on, with Vladitor and Leonidas striking at each other savagely, in hopes of taking the other down.

Marduk smirked before he pulled out his final Ability Card that he could use.

"As much as I would like to keep this battle going, it has to end soon... Soon as in now! Ability Card, activate! **Dark Sphere Impact**!" Marduk called out as Vladitor's Ability Card was played, boosting the Darkus Bakugan's power even further!

 _"Vladitor's Power Level up 200 G's, resulting in 750 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed.

"750 G's...!? No! Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**!" Sora exclaimed as he activated an Ability Card to counter Vladitor's incoming attack. The two special powers were activated, allowing both Bakugan to strike at one another!

The two powers collided, with both sides struggling to overpower one another.

"It's no good! Leonidas' Power Level is still 50 G's lower! It can't match up to Vladitor's power!" Marucho exclaimed as Dan called out to his friend.

"Sora! Do something!" Dan exclaimed, causing the Darkus Brawler to widen his eyes at the realization of what Vladitor had that Leonidas didn't. And his fear started to get real as the Dark Sphere Impact ability was slowly starting to overpower the Alpha Blaster!

"ARGH!" Leonidas grunted as he tried to put more power into the Alpha Blaster energy coming from his body. But with his power being lower than Vladitor's, it was proving to be quite futile.

"Leonidas... No...!" Sora breathed out as he gritted his teeth with his face darkening.

"This is the end of line for you, Leonidas! Disappear!" Vladitor yelled as he put more energy into the Dark Sphere Impact, making it push the Alpha Blaster energy back even further than before! It would only be a matter of seconds before Leonidas was defeated.

"Come on, Leonidas! Keep pushing back! Don't give in!" Sora yelled, as Leonidas tried to do so.

"Ugh... This... isn't... the end!" Leonidas grunted angrily as he continued to keep pushing back, despite of his opponent's power being more stronger than his was.

"Leonidas!"

"Leo!" Drago and Preyas called out as the pushing continued on, despite of how futile it was. Eventually, the Dark Sphere Impact's power overwhelmed the dragon, causing him to be engulfed by the power.

Everyone watches in shock as Leonidas was sent flying into the air! But just when it looked like he was about to be sent to the Doom Dimension, it happened...

"Argh... Ngh... Ugh... Huff... Huff..." Leonidas began breathing in and out, something stirring inside him as both Marduk and Vladitor watched in surprise.

"What happened!? That should've taken it down!" Marduk snapped while Vladitor just observed.

"Leonidas...?" Sora breathed out as he watched some sort of energy surround his Guardian Bakugan's body, as Dan widened his eyes in realization on what he and the others could be seeing right now.

"This is... Hey, Drago... Isn't this...!?" Dan started to ask, until Drago realized it as well.

"Yes... This must be... Ultimate Boost!" Drago exclaimed, causing Marucho to realize what that meant.

"You mean... the overwhelming power that caused your battle with Masquerade to end in a draw!?" Marucho exclaimed, earning a nod from the Pyrus Brawler.

"GRAAHHH! ULTIMATE BOOST!" Leonidas roared as the Baku-Pod showed on how much power Leonidas was gaining right now before it went static! Vladitor struggled to stay at its feet before the overwhelming power took everyone by surprise!

Everyone covered their eyes before they felt themselves being pushed back by the power that Leonidas had delivered to the entire battlefield!

 **DRAW**

* * *

With the battlefield being forced to close, Sora struggled to stand back up before he noticed Leonidas on the ground in his ball form. Picking him up, the Darkus Brawler kept his Guardian Bakugan in his hands.

"L-Leonidas...?" Sora breathed out before Dan and Marucho ran over to him as soon as they recovered from the shockwave, too.

"Dude..." Dan breathed out in awe as Marucho adjusted his glasses before he frowned in concern.

"Hmph... To think this battle would end in a draw." Marduk scoffed as the three boys turned to see their enemy looking rather annoyed for the battle not ending in his taste very well.

"Don't let it get to your head though, kid... Me and Vladitor were just warming up!" Marduk assured, catching the three by surprise.

"Warming up!? Wait, so you weren't fighting me or the other Brawlers seriously when we battled!?" Dan exclaimed, causing Marduk to sneer in response. At the sneer, the Pyrus Brawler gritted his teeth before he found himself being held back by Marucho.

"Don't let him get to you, Dan! It's what he wants!" Marucho protested, much to the Pyrus Brawler's dismay before he submitted to his Aquos user comrade's words.

As Sora glares while standing back up, Vladitor chuckles to himself before he speaks to Leonidas once again, who weakly opens out of his ball form.

"Now that I've battled with you, Leonidas... I know what makes you different! You're from the Doom Dimension!" Vladitor grunted out loud. The last words shocked Dan, Sora, and Marucho very hard, along with Drago and Preyas.

"W-What did you say...? Leonidas...? From the Doom Dimension?" Sora breathed out in disbelief, before he looked down at his Guardian Bakugan, who tenses at the truth being spilled out to his human partner and his friends.

"I sensed the connection immediately and I should know... I was trapped there for eons!" Vladitor continued on, with Sora shaking his head in disbelief.

"Leonidas...?" Sora asked, causing Leonidas to look down a little, possibly due to shame before Vladitor continued with his offer to the dragon Bakugan.

"We are the same, Leonidas... Born of darkness! Join me, and we will destroy all Bakugan!" Vladitor demanded, only to get cut off from Sora, who snapped at his new enemies for attempting to goad Leonidas into joining.

"Are you crazy!? Leo's not like you!" Sora snapped, startling both Dan and Marucho as they watched to see their friend defend his Guardian Bakugan from the enemies. The same went for Drago and Preyas as they watched while Vladitor just scoffed.

"Think it over, Leonidas. In your heart, you know the truth... Find me when you can admit it!" Vladitor called before Marduk smirked. He took out a Bakugan Card, before the card shined! It blinded the group before the light faded away.

By the time everyone got their sights back, their new masked enemy was already out of their sight.

As soon as they were gone, Dan looked to see Sora still holding the Darkus Bakugan in his hands as the Darkus Brawler had to ask...

"Leonidas... He's lying, right?" Sora asked. But the answer he received from his Guardian Bakugan was the opposite of what he wanted to hear.

"It's true... I was born from the hate and despair of the Bakugan locked deep in the Doom Dimension." Leonidas admitted, shocking Sora. The other boys were shocked as well, but no more shocked than Drago and Preyas.

But the Darkus Bakugan wasn't done speaking as he spoke of how he changed at his time in Earth.

"All I wanted to was to take my anger out on other Bakugan. But I've changed since I met you..." Leonidas continued, catching Sora by surprise as he lost his shocked expression, which turned into a startled expression.

"Me...?" Sora repeated, before his Guardian Bakugan turned to him, admitting of what he truly thought about his human partner.

"Yes... Thanks to you, I've learned the importance of friendship... and trust..." Leonidas explained, making Sora blink before a small smile rose up on his face. Bringing Leonidas close to his chest, the Darkus Bakugan could only look up at his human partner before the Darkus Brawler spoke.

"We learn from each other... Friends always do. Whatever happens, you'll always be my partner..." Sora assured, as he seemed to have forgotten the bitter feelings he had felt towards Leonidas just a few moments ago.

Whatever dark feelings he had for the Darkus Bakugan, it was completely washed away by the new positive feelings bubbling inside of him.

"I..." Leonidas struggled to say before he stopped himself.

He couldn't bring himself to say anymore, thanks to Sora saying the words that he wanted to hear in truth...

Dan and Marucho didn't say anything else, as they knew that despite of what's been said and done... the bond between Sora and Leonidas didn't drop down, but it only grew as the truth was revealed.

They both smiled at each other, knowing that Sora seemed to have grown as a Brawler, despite of the time passing by being short.

To be continued...

* * *

 **Sora's Ranking and Battles:**

 **Rank: 396**

 **W/L: 7/0**

 **Next chapters:**

 **Chapter 6: Challenge to be a Battle Brawler!**

 **Chapter 7: Take the Flight or Fight!**

 **Chapter 8: The Challenge from the Mask!**

 **Chapter 9: We Need Our Ventus Friend!**

 **Chapter 10: The Old Times Get Better**

 **Preview :**

 **Runo** \- On the next time on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Dan has suddenly decided that we could recruit Sora as our Darkus Battle Brawler for the team! I mean, I can get to where Dan is going, but still... With the awful truth we learned about Leonidas being born from the Doom Dimension... Can this Bakugan really be trusted? Sora may be reliable, but his Bakugan are completely off the charts! But of course, Dan goes stubborn about it and even challenges Sora to a battle! What's really on Dan's mind? Who knows? Maybe it's boring or maybe even a little interesting! Don't miss out on the next chapter!

 **Runo** \- Bakugan, brawl! Let's keep it rolling!


	6. Challenge to be a Battle Brawler!

**Chapter 6: Challenge to be a Battle Brawler!**

 **Dan** \- My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere! At first, they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game! That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all! They were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan! And together with my friends, Runo! Marucho! Julie! Not to mention Mr. Hotshot himself, Shun! And Alice! We are...

 **Battle Brawlers** \- The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

 **Dan** \- Bakugan! One goal, two worlds!

* * *

 **(Bakugan Battle Brawlers Opening 1)**

 ** _What are ya gonna do?_**

(Dan enters into battle with the field revealing itself)

 ** _The odds are stacked against you,  
Back against the wall,_**

(Dan and Masquerade activate their cards to begin battle)

(The two brawlers launch their Bakugan against each other)

 ** _You gotta give it your all,_**

(Sora floats around with his Guardian Bakugan, Leonidas)

 ** _This is the final stand,_**

(Multiple scenes of different Bakugan appear)

 ** _The powers in your hand!_**

(Dan throws a Gate Card)

 ** _Two worlds collide,  
On the inside,_**

(Naga reaches for the Infinity and the Silent Core)

(Vestroia gets affected by Naga's actions)

(Drago uses Boosted Dragon on an opponent)

(Scenes of a masked brawler, and his Darkus Bakugan appear)

 ** _You got to fight for what's right,_**

(Sora raises an unknown card before the card glows)

 ** _Before it's gone,  
Gone, gone,  
This is Bakugan!_**

(Dan and Marucho prepares for battle while Sora and Runo waits)

(Dan returns a Bakugan with a grin)

(The title appears)

 **[Opening Ends]**

* * *

The Darkus Brawler laid on his bed, seeing the moon that was shining in the night sky. Sleep couldn't come to the boy, as he thought about what Dan had said to him, after a few days from his brawl with Marduk.

 **Flashback**

 _"Whoa, wait... Are you serious!? Me, be a part of the Battle Brawler?"_ _Sora asked in disbelief, as he sat with Dan at a chair at the park. The Pyrus Brawler grinned, seeing how big the Darkus Brawler had reacted when he asked him the question._

 _"Well, of course! Why not? We could use a Darkus Brawler friend to our team. Plus, you call yourself a newbie, but with the strategies you've shown during battle, I'd say you're more than suitable to join our group!" Dan explained with a grin._

 _The explanation left Sora blinking in surprise before he frowned, understanding what Dan was saying when it came to his battles._

 _"Well, sure... But, the only reason I was able to win those many battles unlike how I started was because of Leonidas... I mean, after all, not only is he my Guardian Bakugan, but he's my strongest one..." Sora explained timidly._

 _That fact was mostly true, since most of the battles he had won so far were thanks to Leonidas winning those battles for him. It didn't mean anything much since he hasn't been using his other Darkus Bakugan during the brawls._

 _"Hm... I get it... You think by just relying on Leonidas, you don't think you'd be good enough without him around?" Dan asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to sweat drop before he sighed, causing Dan to blink._

 _"W-Whoa! Don't take it the wrong way, Sora! I mean, uh..." Dan stuttered, trying to correct himself, only to find nothing to say as Drago sighed._

 _"You could try to be more tactful, Dan..." Drago advised, causing the Pyrus Brawler to glare at his Guardian Bakugan._

 _"Oh quiet down... It's not like you have anything better to say to the kid!" Dan grumbled, until Sora smiled sheepishly._

 _"N-No, it's fine... I guess... you're right about one thing. I always end up relying on Leo ever since he became my partner... Maybe that's why I'm feeling unsure whether I'm suitable to be a Battle Brawler." Sora admitted, as Leonidas opened up to his human partner._

 _"Well, what do you want me to do, then? Sit out on a battle while you try to find a way to win without my help? That's going to be rather difficult to you, Sora..." Leonidas spoke bluntly, causing the Darkus Brawler to feel irked about it._

 _"No need to be so blunt, Leo... I'm well aware of the troubles I'm getting..." Sora sighed, as Dan smiled sheepishly._

 _"Anyways... I gotta tell you, kid. You sure know about us... Even if you were relying on Leonidas, your skills are still impressive! Even Marucho seemed amazed during that tag battle when we were ambushed by those creeps." Dan explained with a smile._

 _The Darkus Brawler could only smile at the compliment before he explained of how he knew about the Pyrus Brawler and the others._

 _"I followed you guys on the Internet forever before I met you or when I started playing Bakugan for real... You guys are the heroes out there." Sora admitted, causing Dan to smile and nod in thanks to the Darkus Brawler._

 _Just then, an idea came to the Pyrus Brawler's head as he made a suggestion to the Darkus Brawler._

 _"Hey! I got it! If you can beat me in a battle someday, I'll make you an official member of the Battle Brawlers! How does that sound?" Dan asked, causing Sora to look up before he smiled at the idea._

 _"Are you serious...? That sounds great! When should we have our brawl?" Sora asked, causing the Pyrus Brawler to think it over before he picked a date for them to battle it out._

 _"How about... a week later? There's some things I want to look over since there are still those creeps working for Masquerade. How does that sound?" Dan asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to smile and nod._

 _"Sure! Leonidas and I will be ready to take both you and Drago on during our brawl!" Sora assured confidently, causing the Pyrus Brawler to laugh a little before he got up from the chair and said his goodbye to the Darkus Brawler._

 _"It's a deal! See ya later, Sora!" Dan called as he ran out of the park, causing Sora to wave to his Pyrus Brawler friend goodbye._

 _But just as Dan was out of his sight... Sora slumped down on the ground, causing his Guardian Bakugan to look down at him in question._

 _"Something wrong?" Leonidas asked as the Darkus Brawler sighed, before shaking a little._

 _"What have I gotten myself into...? How did I agree to this so easily when it's Dan and Drago we're talking about...?" Sora asked, causing the Darkus Bakugan to sweat drop and shake his head in disbelief._

 _"You accepted that human boy's challenge without even thinking straight... That's new coming from you." Leonidas spoke out bluntly, as Sora groaned from the reckless decision he had accepted just now._

 **Flashback End**

 _"I don't even know what I was thinking back then... I mean, I was able to beat Runo and Tigrerra thankfully, but this is the guy that created the game for all of this when Bakugan started to appear in our world..."_ Sora thought before he turned his eyes on the ceiling.

 _"I'm sure Leonidas and I can handle it, but... can I win without having to rely on Leonidas too much? I really need to consider on using my other Bakugan for this since Dan's not like the other Brawlers that used Doom Cards to send Bakugan to the Doom Dimension."_ Sora continued before he sighed.

"Ah nuts... I'm overthinking this again..." Sora groaned before he turned to the right on his bed.

Just as he was trying to sleep, he didn't take notice of his Guardian Bakugan watching over him, still in his closed ball form.

"Hmph..." was all the Darkus Bakugan had said before the night went on, from little noise to no noise at all.

 **The next morning...**

At the park, the Darkus Brawler sat on the chair, looking at the sky. The clouds looked rather free to him, as Sora sighed, narrowing his eyes to see how free they looked, despite of looking like they had no feelings at all to begin with.

"Leonidas..." Sora called out, catching his Bakugan's attention.

"What is it?" Leonidas asked, before the Darkus Brawler asked a question.

"What was the Doom Dimension like there... when you were born?" Sora asked, causing the Darkus Bakugan to be silent at the sudden question before he turned, turning his head up to where the clouds were.

"Why do you... ask such a thing? You were so afraid of it when you witnessed Bakugan being sent to the Doom Dimension. I thought that would've been the least of your concerns." Leonidas asked softly.

Closing his eyes, the Darkus Brawler sighed in response before he explained.

"I know... I'm confused with myself on why I asked such a thing, but... I feel like I just needed to know on what it's like... Does it really mean the absolute end for all Bakugan that are sent there...?" Sora asked, causing Leonidas to be silent once more.

After a few minutes, the Darkus Bakugan confessed on what his home dimension was like.

"It's dreadful... dark... nothing good about it. There's no hint of light. Just darkness and bitter feelings in that dimension. When a Bakugan gets sent there, there is no way out of it... no matter how hard you try to find a way out." Leonidas explained sternly.

The bitter explanation about the dimension caused the Darkus Brawler to sigh before he spoke.

"I thought so... It never sounded nice the moment it was mentioned. But still... I just... felt like I needed to know." Sora admitted, causing his Guardian Bakugan to turn and look down on him before he shook his head in disbelief.

"I sometimes wonder what's on your mind, especially since there are times when you can be quite unpredictable, whether it comes to Bakugan or your normal life." Leonidas admitted with a scoff.

The Darkus Brawler gave a sheepish smile to his Guardian Bakugan, before he looked back up at the sky.

"Tomorrow is the day I battle Dan, which will decide whether I'm worthy to be a part of the Battle Brawlers. To be honest, it's pretty exciting, yet scary at the same time." Sora confessed, catching Leonidas' attention once more.

The dragon Bakugan turned his head away yet again before questioning his human partner's feelings.

"And why scary...?" Leonidas questioned, causing the Darkus Brawler to try and explain, though it seemed to have sounded hard for him to explain.

"Well, it's just that... becoming a member of the Battle Brawlers would be an honor, since that would mean I would be fighting alongside Dan, Runo, and the other members of the Battle Brawlers..." Sora started before he started to think, until he spoke again.

"And well... The reason for why it's scary is because... that would mean I would have to deal with seeing many Bakugan getting sent to the Doom Dimension if we made the wrong move during a battle against Masquerade or one of his goons..." Sora added, causing Leonidas to ponder over it.

"Bakugan are living beings, not toys to play around with... They have their own roles in life and have a reason as to why they exist... For them to be banished into the Doom Dimension because they lose one battle... It just doesn't feel right." Sora admitted, closing his eyes.

"That's how us Bakugan work... Even if they don't want to be sent to the Doom Dimension, there are some times in life where you don't have a choice, which is why some things don't work out the way we plan..." Leonidas stated in reminder.

"I guess, but still..." Sora spoke out, before he couldn't find any other words to respond to his Guardian Bakugan's words.

"No... You're right..." Sora agreed, though his tone sounded rather reluctant. Leonidas however, didn't take notice of that as he just grunted, leaving the two to sit together in silence, with the sunlight shining down on them and the small wind blowing.

* * *

 **The next day...**

Dan, Runo, and Marucho were at the park as the Pyrus Brawler was getting ready to fight against the Darkus Brawler, while the Aquos and Haos Brawler would watch on the sidelines.

"Dan, are you sure about this? You think the kid has what it takes? I mean, sure... He's a good Brawler, but there's still Leonidas that has some temper if you try to mess with that Bakugan." Runo questioned in concern.

"Aw, quit being a worrywart, Runo. Leonidas is a good Bakugan for sure. I mean, come on... Marucho, Drago, Preyas, and I heard them both calling each partner, and how that short tempered Bakugan learned about friendship and trust." Dan assured, with Marucho agreeing with him.

"I agree... Although at first, I was a bit surprised that Leonidas brought that up after their battle against Marduk and Vladitor..." Marucho admitted, with a small smile on his face.

"For sure! That scary nasty dragon Bakugan didn't seem to be the type to make friend-" Preyas started to say, until he took notice of Drago and Tigrerra gazing at him, as if they were glaring at him to be quiet.

"Uh... Never mind..." The Aquos Bakugan gulped, sweat dropping at the glares he was getting from his comrades.

Runo blinked, before smiling a little. With the way her friends talked about the boy and his Guardian Bakugan, she was starting to believe that their words may be the truth.

She had heard about Marduk defeating Dan in a battle without using the Doom Card and on how Marduk challenged Sora next, though the results came out as a draw.

She was concerned of course, with what could've happened to both Dan and Drago. But to hear Sora and Leonidas being targeted by the half-masked Brawler... she couldn't help but wonder whether to be relieved or worried if they were okay or not.

Thankfully, upon learning that nothing really happened to the Darkus Brawler, she became rather relieved to hear the positive part of the news.

After hearing the news, the Haos Brawler knew that Sora could be trusted, but was still unsure about the Darkus Guardian Bakugan. For it to fight against Masquerade's comrade, it proved that Leonidas was no enemy, but...

"Sorry I took so long! Am I late?"

The familiar voice caused Runo to get out of her mind and turn with the others to see Sora running over to where they were, with Leonidas on his left shoulder.

Dan smiled at his friend coming over before he shook his head in reassurance.

"No sweat, kid! You're just in time! So! You ready for your little test?" Dan asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to give a sheepish smile.

"Just a little nervous. I mean, after all... I'm going up against one of the creators of the Bakugan game... Do you blame me for that?" Sora confessed, causing the Pyrus Brawler to give a small chuckle before he smiled in understanding.

"I think I can understand that..." Dan smirked, earning an unimpressed look from the Haos Brawler.

"Do you really...?" Runo asked, causing Dan to sweat drop before he shook his head and took out his Field Card.

"N-Never mind... Anyways! You ready to lose or you think you're ready to win?" Dan asked, as he got ready to battle. Runo and Marucho took their Field Cards out as well, causing Sora to take out his.

"Oh, I'm game. The question is, Dan... Are you ready for me?" Sora asked confidently, as the four Brawlers activated the card to open the battlefield.

"FIELD, OPEN!"

The Attribute Hexagram revealed itself and rotated around the four Brawlers as the Bakugan battlefield opened to begin the battle.

* * *

 **Sora** **VS Dan**

"Gate Card, set!"

Both Brawlers sent out their Gate Cards to begin the battle. Once the two cards enlarged themselves, the Pyrus Brawler took the first move to make the play start a bit more interesting.

 **01T**

"And another card... set!" Dan called out, as he threw the Gate Card next to where Sora's first Gate Card was, on the Pyrus Brawler's right.

"Bakugan, brawl! Pyrus **Griffon** , stand!" Dan called out, summoning the griffin-like Bakugan to appear onto his second Gate Card. The Pyrus Bakugan roared at being summoned to the field as Sora got ready.

 **02T**

"In that case... Gate Card, set!" Sora called out, sending another Gate Card to enlarge itself next to Dan's first Gate Card on his right.

"Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Griffon** , stand!" Sora shouted out, summoning forth the Darkus Griffon onto Sora's second Gate Card, catching the Pyrus Brawler by surprise as he checked his Baku-Pod.

 _"Battle commencing. Pyrus Griffon's Power Level at 350 G's. Darkus Griffon's Power Level at 320 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, as Dan smirked.

 **03T**

"So we're playing careful, huh? Fine, then! I'll start! Bakugan, brawl! Pyrus **Robotallian** , stand!" Dan called out, as the robot-like Bakugan faced Darkus Griffon, who roared at facing its new opponent in battle.

"Battle begin!" Both Brawlers called out as the two Bakugan clashed with one another, until Dan made the first move.

"Try this on for size, kid! Ability Card, activate! **Fire Tornado**!" Dan called out, causing Robotallian to be surrounded by a fiery tornado, while causing Griffon to back off and be cautious upon the upcoming attack.

 _"G's transferred from Griffon to Robotallian. Griffon's Power Level at 220 G's. Robotallian's Power Level at 410 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, until the Darkus Brawler countered with his Gate Card.

"Not so fast, Dan! Gate Card, open! **Super Pyrus**!" Sora called out, causing the Command Card to be active.

"Say what!?" Dan gasped as he checked his Baku-Pod.

 _"Super Pyrus activated. G's transferred. Griffon at 410 G's. Robotallian at 220 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed. The Pyrus Brawler could only watch as Robotallian was knocked out of the battle by Griffon's assault, ending it as his first loss.

 **Dan: 2 Bakugan**

The defeated Bakugan rolled over to Dan's foot, causing the Pyrus Brawler to smile in amusement.

"That was one sweet move... By using the Super Pyrus Command Card, he was able to switch my Bakugan's power with his!" Dan smirked, as Drago floated over to him in reminder.

"This is no time to be impressed, Daniel. Sora's move is coming next. Brace yourself." Drago reminded, earning a nod from his human partner.

"I got ya, Drago!" Dan stated as the Darkus Brawler continued the battle with his next move.

 **04T**

"Let's do this again... Bakugan, brawl! Griffon, stand!" Sora called out, as he sent Griffon to face Dan's Griffon, who was ready to face his Darkus counterpart.

"He's using Griffon again and not any of his other Bakugan? What's the kid thinking?" Runo asked, causing Marucho to think it over.

"Maybe he's planning to use his other Bakugan and Leonidas for later, so that in case if Dan finds a way to counter his moves, it would be much more easier for Sora to counter back and gain a big win." Marucho theorized as Dan was ready.

"You're asking for it, kid! Gate Card, open! **Energy Merge**!" Dan called out, allowing the Command Card to open and steal power from Darkus Griffon, so that Pyrus Griffon would have the advantage.

 _"G's transferred. Pyrus Griffon at 450 G's. Darkus Griffon at 220 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing the Darkus Brawler to blink before he tried to counter.

"Not if I can help it...! Ability Card, activate! **Rapid Darkus**!" Sora called out, as the Ability Card forced another Bakugan of Sora's to go out and face Dan's Griffon, making it a two against one battle!

"What!? Aw, not two against one!" Dan gasped as he watched Darkus Robotallian team up with Darkus Griffon, combining their Power Level to 550 G's. It was at that moment when the two Darkus Bakugan combined their powers to defeat their Pyrus opponent!

Pyrus Griffon roared in defeat, before returning to its ball form and rolling to where Dan's foot was, as it shared the same fate as Pyrus Robotallian.

 **Dan: 1 Bakugan**

"No way... He countered by Gate Card with his Rapid Darkus Ability Card..." Dan breathed out, causing Marucho to realize what the effect was.

"I see... The Rapid Darkus Ability Card allows the Bakugan player to send out another Bakugan to join the Darkus Bakugan that's already in battle. That way, their combined power would be enough to defeat a strong opponent..." Marucho pointed out.

"That was pretty impressive, to be honest... And with that being done, Dan is only left with one Bakugan, which is Drago." Runo pointed out as Dan smirked.

 **05T**

"Man, oh man... You're pretty good, kid! And to think you were just a newbie Bakugan player when we first met...!" Dan praised, causing Sora to smile back.

"Let's just say I'm trying to improve during Bakugan battles... And this is one of those battles where I try to improve, so that I can get even stronger with my Bakugan..." Sora explained, causing Dan to smile back.

"Well, you seem pretty strong enough already! But can you beat Drago?" Dan asked as he got ready to send out his Guardian Bakugan to the field.

"Bakugan, brawl! Drago, stand!" Dan called out, as he sent Drago onto his first Gate Card, causing the Pyrus Dragonoid to appear in battle with a loud roar. At Drago appearing, the Darkus Brawler narrowed his eyes.

 **06T**

"Just as what I'd expect from Dan... Of course he would use Drago in battle... Bakugan, brawl!" Sora breathed out before he sent out Robotallian to face Drago! At that moment, Dan was ready.

"Gate Card, open!" Dan called out, activating the Pyrus Reactor Gate Card. With the flames surrounding the two Bakugan, Drago roared at gaining some new strength to fight back.

 _"Drago's Power Level increases to 440 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, until Sora countered with his Ability Card.

"That won't save Drago that easily! Ability Card, activate! **Spice Slayer**!" Sora called out, causing the Darkus Ability Card to counter the power boost.

 _"Drago's Power Level decreases to 340 G's. Robotallian's Power Level increases to 430 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, until Dan used his second Ability Card to counter back!

"Don't think that'll stop us, kid! Ability Card, activate! **Boosted Dragon**!" Dan shot back, causing Drago to roar and take the lead again by 10 G's! The Pyrus Bakugan blasted Robotallian away, ending it in its defeat!

"No way!" Sora gasped as he watched his defeated Bakugan roll up to him in its ball form.

 **Sora: 2 Bakugan**

 **07T**

As Drago returned to Dan, the Pyrus Brawler was ready to send him out again.

"Come on! Let's keep going, Drago! You ready?" Dan asked, earning an affirmative response from his Guardian Bakugan.

"I'm ready when you are, Dan! Let's go!" Drago called out, as he turned into a ball to let Dan throw him out onto the game once again.

"Okay then! Bakugan, brawl! Drago, stand!" Dan shouted out, allowing Drago to take the field once more, with his power being boosted to 440 G's, thanks to Boosted Dragon still remaining in effect.

 **08T**

"This is definitely not going to be easy... Still...! Bakugan, brawl! Griffon, stand!" Sora called out, as he sent Griffon out to face the Pyrus Dragonoid. As soon as the two Bakugan were out in play, the Darkus Brawler made the first move.

"All right... Gate Card, open!" Sora called out, as he activated the Darkus Reactor Gate Card. Unfortunately...

 _"Griffon's Power Level increases to 420 G's. Drago's Power Level remains at 440 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to the Darkus Brawler's shock.

"Not good! It's not enough! Ah!" Sora gasped as he watched to see Drago blast away Griffon with the Boosted Dragon power once more, ending Griffon's time in battle, as it rolled up to Sora in defeat.

 **Sora: 1 Bakugan**

 **09T**

"They're both equal now! Dan has Drago left while Sora has Leonidas left!" Marucho pointed out, with Runo frowning.

"This next battle will determine everything..." Runo pointed out as the two Guardian Bakugan watched to see the final battle begin, with Dan making the initiative move, by throwing his final Gate Card out.

"Here goes! Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! Drago, stand!" Dan called out as he sent out Drago once more to face his final opponent for this battle.

"Leonidas... It's now or never. You ready?" Sora asked, causing the Darkus Bakugan to open up in response.

"As ready as ever, Sora. Now, let's go! We have one more battle to win to claim our victory!" Leonidas called out before he returned to his ball form, earning a nod from the Darkus Brawler as he got ready.

 **10T**

"Okay... This is it! Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora shouted out, as he sent his Guardian Bakugan to face Dan's Guardian Bakugan out onto the Pyrus Brawler's Gate Card.

Once the dark dragon appeared to face the fire dragon, both Bakugan roared to begin the battle as the boys were ready to begin.

"Bakugan, brawl!" Both Dan and Sora called out as their Guardian Bakugan clashed with one another. There was a punch... a smack from the tail... and some slashes from the claws. Both Bakugan weren't giving each other an opening, as their moves were big and intense!

"WHOA! This is starting to get hot and intense, baby!" Preyas commented in shock, as he felt on how much heat was coming out from the battlefield.

"But the true question is, on who will be the victor? Will it Drago? Or will it be Leonidas?" Tigrerra asked, causing Runo and Marucho to be silent. Neither of the two knew what the answer can be, since both Brawlers had similar skills.

And the same went for their Guardian Bakugan, as they were both giving it their all to defeat each other. But while they seemed to be equal, Drago's Power Level was a different story.

"Get ready, Sora! Gate Card, open!" Dan called out, as he activated the second Pyrus Reactor Gate Card, boosting his Guardian Bakugan's power.

 _"Drago's Power Level increases to 540 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing the Darkus Brawler to immediately counter the Pyrus Brawler's move.

"That won't stop us, Dan! Ready, Leonidas!? Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**!" Sora called out, allowing his Guardian Bakugan to gain more power from his own signature Ability.

 _"Leonidas' Power Level increases to 600 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to Runo and Marucho's surprise.

"That goes above even Drago's Power Level!" Marucho pointed out in shock, with the Haos Brawler realizing what this meant.

"They just might win against Dan...?" Runo breathed out in shock as Leonidas got ready to make the finishing blow.

"This is the end, Drago! It seems the one who is victorious in this battle for today is Sora and me!" Leonidas roared as he flew, ready to shoot his attack. Sora smiled, pumping his fist in the air.

"Go get 'em, Leo!" Sora shouted out, as Leonidas blasted his energy stream to where Drago was! Just when it looked like the battle would go to Sora and Leonidas' side, though...

Dan grinned, and held up his final Ability Card to use during the battle.

"That's some sweet counter move, Sora! But the battle isn't over yet until we say it's over! Ability Card, activate! **Melt Flare**!" Dan shouted out, as the Ability Card was sent to Drago, allowing him to use Boosted Dragon!

But as Drago shot his attack, the flames from the Boosted Dragon grew even larger, much to Sora and Leonidas' shock.

"N-No way! He boosted the Boosted Dragon with another Ability Card!? No! Leonidas!" Sora gasped as he watched Leonidas struggle against Drago's Ability. The two Bakugan struggled to overpower one another, until the evolved Boosted Dragon began to overpower the Alpha Blaster.

"Leonidas!?" Sora called out as Leonidas continued to struggle, until...

 **BOOM!**

"No... No way..." Sora breathed out as he watched Leonidas start to fall down, until he returned to his ball form in defeat. The defeated Darkus Bakugan bounced on the ground, before stopping right in front of the Darkus Brawler's feet.

Falling to his knees, the Darkus Brawler bit his lips, accepting of what happened just now.

"So it's all over then... We lost." Sora breathed out in defeat.

 **Sora: 0 Bakugan**

 **WIN: Dan**

* * *

With the battle over, the field closed, allowing everyone and the Bakugan to return to the real world.

"We lost... I'm sorry, Leonidas... We lost because I couldn't predict their actions..." Sora apologized, as Leonidas slowly opened up, before looking up at his upset human partner.

"What's done is done, Sora... There's nothing we can do much about it now." Leonidas grunted, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise.

"You're... not mad?" Sora asked, earning a scoff from the Darkus Bakugan.

"Of course I'm mad! I'm mad about us losing! But I knew... that the blame of the loss doesn't just belong to you. It belongs to me as well, since I was also too confident with the fact that we might be able to win." Leonidas confessed.

That caused Sora to widen his eyes before he regained his smile before he picked up Leonidas with his two hands.

"Well... There's always next time. Of course, for you... There's a next time to win and for me, there's always next time to be a Battle Brawler..." Sora commented until he was stopped by Dan, who joined in on the conversation.

"What do you mean, there's always next time, kid?" Dan asked, as he walked over with a smile on his face.

"Huh? But... I lost. Doesn't that mean I fail this test of yours?" Sora asked, causing him to earn a grin from the Pyrus Brawler.

"No, no! To pass the test, it wasn't to win a battle against me, it was a test to see how your relationship with your Bakugan is! And by the looks of it and the way you battled, you just proved that you love Bakugan more than anything!" Dan confessed, much to Sora's surprise.

"What...? So that means the kid didn't have to win, then?" Runo asked, causing her Guardian Bakugan to chuckle in amusement.

"It would seem so..." Tigrerra chuckled as Marucho smiled in understanding.

"Either way, I have to say... It was a great battle to see, especially since it was Drago fighting against Leonidas!" Marucho admitted, as he couldn't help but feel the excitement of what he had seen earlier during the battle.

The Darkus Brawler on the other hand, remained surprised until he was offered a hand by the Pyrus Brawler, who smiled down at him.

"Welcome to the Battle Brawlers, Sora. Welcome to the team!" Dan called out, with Drago remaining on his shoulder. Blinking in surprise, the Darkus Brawler soon had his face soften before he accepted the Pyrus Brawler's hand.

Lifting himself up with the thanks of Dan, the Darkus Brawler gave a smile and a chuckle.

"It's an honor to fight alongside with you guys." Sora said with a smile on his face. The two boys shook hands as an acceptance to their partnership as a team to work together... Of course, the moment was going well, until...

*growl*

Sweat dropping, Dan gave a sheepish grin while Runo and Marucho gave the Pyrus Brawler deadpanned expressions. Even Sora was surprised as the Haos Brawler snapped at the Pyrus Brawler for ruining the nice moment they had together.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! YOUR STOMACH HAD TO GO AND JUST RUIN THIS GOOD MOMENT!" Runo snapped as she glared at Dan, who glared back with a retort.

"Hey! It's not like I can help it! I can't control my stomach making that weird noise when I'm hungry!" Dan retorted back.

"Well, you better control it or that stupid stomach of yours is going to ruin every nice moment it can, just like it did now!" Runo shouted back, creating another argument between herself and the Pyrus Brawler.

Marucho smiled sheepishly at the scene, as the three Guardian Bakugan just watched in bewilderment. Even the Darkus Brawler was bewildered of what he was seeing right now.

 _"Oh boy... So these are the Battle Brawlers I'll be working with. When it comes to serious situations like fighting Masquerade and his goons, it's serious... But when it's time to relax and have fun, I guess every moments go like this..."_ Sora thought sheepishly.

He didn't hear Leonidas turning his head away from the childish argument as the Darkus Bakugan gave a small unimpressed scoff.

"Humans..." Leonidas mumbled under his breath.

To be continued...

* * *

 **Sora's Ranking and Battles:**

 **Rank: 378**

 **W/L: 7/1**

 **Next chapters:**

 **Chapter 7: Take the Fight or Flight!**

 **Chapter 8: The Challenge from the Mask**

 **Chapter 9: We Need Our Ventus Friend!**

 **Chapter 10: The Old Times Get Better**

 **Chapter 11: Childhood Friend to Face Off!**

 **Preview :**

 **Runo** \- Hey! It's Runo! On the next chapter of Bakugan Battle Brawlers, we head to the airport to pick up Alice! Even Dan is there! Sort of... But that's where we meet two brothers, Takeshi and Kazuki, who challenges us to a brawl! Marucho is totally pumped about the battle, and everything starts out okay, but how does it end? Well, you'll just have to read it out later yourselves when the chapter comes up! But hey... Where did Sora go? Did something happen to him, with the same thing that happened to Dan? On the next chapter of Bakugan Battle Brawlers! Trust me! This one's gonna be wicked!

 **Runo** \- Bakugan, brawl! Let's do this!


	7. Take the Flight or Fight!

**Chapter 7: Take the Flight or Fight!**

 **Dan** \- My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere! At first, they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game! That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all! They were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan! And together with my friends, Runo! Marucho! Julie! Sora! Not to mention Mr. Hotshot himself, Shun! And Alice! We are...

 **Battle Brawlers** \- The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

 **Dan** \- Bakugan! One goal, two worlds!

* * *

 **(Bakugan Battle Brawlers Opening 1)**

 ** _What are ya gonna do?_**

(Dan enters into battle with the field revealing itself)

 ** _The odds are stacked against you,  
Back against the wall,_**

(Dan and Masquerade activate their cards to begin battle)

(The two brawlers launch their Bakugan against each other)

 ** _You gotta give it your all,_**

(Sora floats with his Guardian Bakugan, Leonidas)

 ** _This is the final stand,_**

(Multiple scenes of different Bakugan appear)

 ** _The powers in your hand!_**

(Dan throws a Gate Card)

 ** _Two worlds collide,  
On the inside,_**

(Naga reaches for the Infinity and the Silent Core)

(Vestroia gets affected by Naga's actions)

(Drago uses Boosted Dragon on an opponent)

(Scenes of Marduk and Vladitor appear)

 ** _You got to fight for what's right,_**

(Sora raises an unknown card before the card glows)

 ** _Before it's gone,  
Gone, gone,  
This is Bakugan!_**

(Dan and Marucho prepares for battle while Sora and Runo waits)

(Dan returns a Bakugan with a grin)

(The title appears)

 **[Opening Ends]**

* * *

Three Brawlers were heading over to where they could all see a girl walking ahead of them, looking like she had just gotten off of her flight. Runo was the first one to call her out with a bright smile on her face.

"Hey! Alice!" Runo called out.

At hearing her name being called, the supporter of the Battle Brawlers turned and smiled happily to see some familiar faces coming to her way.

* * *

 **Sora's POV**

In case you guys were wondering on what the Battle Brawlers and I were doing, we were heading to the airport so we could meet up with one of the members of the Battle Brawlers. Her name, is Alice Gehabich.

She's a girl who doesn't really play Bakugan, but can be a great advisor and supporter for the team. When someone could be having trouble with coming up a good strategy, then Alice is the right girl to go to when you're having trouble.

She seems to be related to Dr. Michael... I mean, they share the same last name, so they might be connected. Dan and Drago told me everything about the truth after I became a new member of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers.

It was all about how Bakugan became affected by the negative energy, all because of Naga tampering with both the Silent Core and the Infinity Core. But Naga was absorbed by the Silent Core while the Infinity Core was nowhere to be found.

So it turns out the Battle Brawlers' mission was to find the Infinity Core before Naga could. Otherwise, Vestroia could be doomed... And maybe not just Vestroia, but the Earth as well.

For beings that came out of nowhere when the cards fell out from the sky, this was big... Pretty big for us humans and the Bakugan. But anyways... regarding of what was going on now... I think I should be focused on what's happening right now.

 **End POV**

* * *

"Alice, you must be beat after that long flight." Runo guessed, only to get a soft smile from the Battle Brawler supporter.

"Not really... I slept on the plane from all the way to Moscow, so it didn't feel like it took that long." Alice admitted, causing Marucho to smile at her.

"Had you made prior arrangements with me, I could've gotten you a seat on our private plane. I believe your journey would've taken you as half as long." Marucho assured until Preyas jumped over, opening up to see Alice.

"So you're Alice, huh? Wow...! You sure are pretty!" Preyas exclaimed happily, earning a smile from the supporter.

"Why, thanks! So are you, Preyas!" Alice giggled, until Tigrerra rolled over to see the supporter of the Battle Brawlers.

"My lady, you are indeed a sight to behold." Tigrerra complimented, causing Runo to try and calm the two Guardian Bakugan down a little.

"Aw, come on! Give the poor girl a break, you guys!" Runo requested, causing the supporter to smile before she took notice of Sora behind her.

"Oh! And you must be the newest member of the Battle Brawlers. You're Sora, right? It's nice to finally meet you face to face!" Alice said politely, causing Sora to blink in surprise before he smiled timidly.

"Y-Yeah... Nice to meet you too, Alice. I've heard a lot about you from Dan and the others... They tell me on how you're an expert on making Bakugan strategies, despite the fact that you never played Bakugan before..." Sora explained.

"I heard about you, too. Runo and Dan kept saying on how timid you can be with socializing with others, but when it comes to Bakugan battles, you can be quite determined and caring to your Bakugan." Alice explained.

"Say what...? Runo..." Sora grunted, before he gave a quick glare to the Haos Brawler.

"Sorry, sorry... But it's true! I mean, when we talked last night during the group chat, you looked completely unsure on what to talk about. You looked a little funny, turning red like that during the chat!" Runo giggled.

"That's because I've basically never made friends before in my life that are around almost the same age as me... It wasn't that funny to begin with..." Sora grumbled with a small pout, until Leonidas opened up.

"Don't let her get to you, kid... She's just messing with you." Leonidas advised, earning a sigh from the Darkus Brawler.

"Yeah... I think I can see that, judging from the way she talks, Leonidas." Sora sighed.

At seeing the Darkus Bakugan, Alice greeted the Bakugan as well with a polite smile on her face.

"So you must be Leonidas. It's nice to meet you... The others kept saying on how tough and merciless you kind of are during battle..." Alice explained, causing Leonidas to turn his back on her with a scoff.

"Hmph! That's because unlike some Bakugan, I tend to battle so that I can become much stronger... so that I could become the ultimate Bakugan someday... surpassing Vladitor... Drago... and all other Bakugan!" Leonidas declared proudly.

"You do realize that getting arrogant could be fatal to you someday, Leo?" Sora asked with a sweat drop.

"That's coming from the kid who struggles to make the right choices during battle..." Leonidas shot back, earning a glare from the Darkus Brawler as he gained a tick mark on his head comically.

"Excuse me...!?" Sora snapped a little with his eyes twitching.

"Come on, you two. Don't fight. You're both starting to fight like how Dan and Drago are!" Marucho chuckled, causing the two to sigh and turn away from each other. That earned more giggles from the girls until Alice blinked at realizing something.

"Oh, that's right! I brought something for the three of you back home!" Alice explained, much to Tigrerra and Preyas' surprise. Leonidas just turned as the two Guardian Bakugan sounded rather surprised.

"For us? You shouldn't have..." Tigrerra started to say until the Aquos Bakugan butted in.

"Oh yes she should have! I love presents..." Preyas started to say before Alice brought out something for the three Guardian Bakugan to see. As they looked at it, all three of them sounded rather confused.

"Huh? What's that?" Preyas asked, causing Alice to explain.

"Here's some fresh battle simulations. They're set up to match your Attributes! You like them? You can use them the next time you do battle!" Alice explained, much to Preyas' disinterest while Leonidas sighed.

"Yeah, great..." Preyas spoke out until Marucho explained of what their supporter friend does.

"Lucky! You see, Alice is the brains of the Bakugan Battle Brawler! She knows about the game more than any of us!" Marucho explained, with Runo adding in on the details on what she does.

"She doesn't battle, but if you ever want to know more about the game, she's the one to go for the info." Runo explained, causing the three Guardian Bakugan to sound rather amused or disinterested as they turned back to Alice.

"You don't say..." The three spoke in unison as Runo giggled.

"Come on, you three. Be nice... She came all this way to spend some time with us, well... I guess to stay at Runo's, but it's nice having a friend over to the same country or state, right?" Sora asked.

"Sure... Whatever." Leonidas responded in disinterest, causing the Darkus Brawler to twitch his eyes before he sighed.

"You're hopeless, you know that, Leo?" Sora commented, earning a scoff from his Guardian Bakugan.

At seeing the two argue a little again, both Runo and Marucho chuckle together. Alice does the same too, until she takes notice of someone familiar being missing in the group as she looked around.

"Uh, hey... Is Dan around here?" Alice asked, causing the three Battle Brawlers to smile at each other. For Sora, he sweat dropped, knowing what might've happened to the Pyrus Brawler...

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

"Aw, man... This bites! Where did they go!? How could they get lost in an airport?" Dan asked, sounding rather irritated. The Pyrus Brawler had came out of the restroom earlier and had taken notice of the others going missing.

"You should know all about that, Dan... Haven't you noticed we've been walking in circles?" Drago asked, causing Dan to glare down at his Guardian Bakugan.

"Hey, I just went to the restroom and forgot which direction we were walking in!" Dan protested, only for Drago to point out the obvious.

"That sounds like lost to me..." Drago reminded, causing the Pyrus Brawler to sweat drop before he continued walking with a huff.

"Technically, yes... but... Ah, forget it!" Dan grumbled as he continued to make his way around the airport to search for his friends.

* * *

 **Back to the others...**

"We all came here together to pick you up, but I can only guess Dan must've gotten lost in the crowds... I mean, it makes sense since this is a large airport we're all in..." Sora guessed, looking around.

"Dan will never change, will he...?" Alice giggled before Marucho raised a question for their supporter.

"Hey, Alice... If you don't mind me asking, what made you decide to pay a visit here so suddenly? Are you here on important business?" Marucho asked, causing Alice to blink before explained her reason for being here.

"No... Marucho, I just felt like seeing you all in person." Alice assured before she turned to the Haos Brawler.

"Runo, thanks for letting me stay with you." Alice said gratefully, causing Sora to raise an eyebrow.

"Alice is staying with you, Runo? Since when?" Sora asked, causing the Haos Brawler to explain.

"Oh, right... I never told you, didn't I? I told my parents that Alice was coming to visit. They were so stoked about her coming to visit, so that's why they arranged for her to stay in my home for a while!" Runo explained, allowing Sora to understand.

"That sounds nice..." Sora admitted, earning a nod from the Haos Brawler before she turned to the supporter.

"Isn't it? My Mom even made a big fat of tuna surprise special, just for you, Alice!" Runo explained, causing Marucho to agree with a smile.

"Yeah! You're lucky, Alice! That's the one thing Runo's mom knows how to make! You'll be eating tuna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! And even dessert, if you're really lucky..." Marucho commented.

"Hey... That's a bit too much tuna for one day, isn't it? You eat the same thing everyday, it gets unappetizing..." Sora advised, causing Leonidas to scoff.

"Of course you would know that, considering you eat pancakes almost every day..." Leonidas grunted, earning another glare from the Darkus Brawler.

"That's because pancakes are the only thing I know how to make, Leo! Excuse me for not being able to cook my own meals!" Sora snapped as Runo giggled, before she sighed with a small blush again.

"I don't really eat tuna myself, so I'm sure there'll be lots of leftovers to take home with you! I guess I'll have to eat pizza again... Total bummer." Runo sighed with a smile, causing the boys to stare at her.

"Don't feel sorry for yourself. You're lucky..." Marucho reminded with a frown.

"Yeah, I know... Hey, would you two care for a couple of slices?" Runo asked, causing the boys to sweat drop as the chat went on. But for Alice, she recalled of what Drago said earlier before she even knew about Sora...

 _"For the sake of your world and mine, we must find the human who corrupted Naga's mind. I remember his name... His name... is Michael."_ Drago's words rang through the supporter's mind as Alice frowned.

 _"These visions I keep having... What do they mean...? And what does Grandfather Michael have to do with it all? Is he somehow connected to Masquerade and the potential of the destruction of Vestroia, the home world of the Bakugan? It doesn't make any sense... I can tell my friends of this, but what would they think of me?"_

Alice frowned before she looked down, feeling unsure of what to say to her friends. That's when Sora noticed her feeling down as he called to her while Marucho and Runo continued to chat together with Tigrerra and Preyas.

"Something wrong, Alice? You look a little down for someone's paying a friend for a visit." Sora asked, causing the supporter to blink in surprise to turn and see the Darkus Brawler looking rather concerned.

"Uh... no! I'm... I'm okay... There's nothing to be worried about, Sora." Alice reassured sheepishly.

"When you say it like that, it kinda gives me a reason to be worried... You know that?" Sora asked, causing the supporter of the Battle Brawlers to blink in surprise before she frowned.

 _"So he noticed me thinking... Oh... What do I say? What do I say...?"_ Alice thought, unsure of what she wanted to say to comfort her friend that everything was fine with her. But before she could talk...

"Hey, you!"

An unfamiliar voice caught the Brawlers' attention as they looked up to see two boys glaring at them with a girl standing behind them. The boy with the glasses pointed at them, like he was accusing the Brawlers of something.

"You're Dan Kuso's buddies, right?" The boy with the glasses snapped, causing Alice to respond.

"That's right... Who are you?" Alice asked back. But what the boys revealed shocked the four Brawlers and their Guardian Bakugan...

Each of them revealed a Doom Card in their hand!

"Doom Cards!?" Sora gasped in disbelief as Runo knew what this meant.

"They were sent by Masquerade!?" Runo exclaimed in disbelief as the four Brawlers got up, glaring at the boys, as the boys glared back at them.

* * *

 **Sora's POV**

I just couldn't believe it. Of all the rotten luck to run into today, we had to face off against more of the Brawlers that were tricked by Masquerade to battle us and send our Bakugan to the Doom Dimension!

The boys demanded that we all follow, while the girl frowned. She didn't seem to like this much as the four of us Brawlers did. Nevertheless, we all started to follow them so that Runo, Marucho, and I could face them.

But before I could start following the others completely, I felt a presence behind me as I swiftly turned to see... no one behind me. I frowned, feeling that something was watching me when Leonidas alerted me.

"What are you waiting for, Sora? The others have already gone on ahead..." Leonidas reminded, as I silenced him with my explanation.

"I know that, Leo... I just... have a creepy feeling that someone's watching us." I explained, as I continued to look around and see if there was anyone that was staring at me or something.

"Wait... Now that you mention it, I feel like we're being watched, too. You think it's another enemy?" Leonidas asked as I could only narrow my eyes in suspicion as I continued to look around.

"I think so..." I started to say, until an unfamiliar voice spoke out to me.

"You're Sora Minazuki, right?" The voice sounded like a girl as I turned to see... a girl behind me. She wasn't too far, just close enough to look like she was trying to confront me or something.

She had black hair, and wore an ankle length flowery purple dress... She seemed to be an ordinary girl that was either rich or just plain, but she didn't seem to be plain at all, especially with the cold expression she was giving me...

"Yes, that's right... Who are you?" Sora asked, before the girl revealed a Field Card for me to see. Wait... is she... challenging me to a Bakugan battle? Right now, when I have more important things to deal with?

"I'm someone... who's about to teach you to learn your place in this game... Battle me, Minazuki! Right here and right now!" The girl demanded calmly as I frowned at her. I wanted to refuse her challenge, knowing that the others were already far from me.

"Sorry, but I don't have time to battle you... I-" I started to say until she cut me off.

"Your friends will be fine on their own while we battle. Trust me... even if you go after them now, the battle will already have started." The girl spoke, causing me to frown... She was right about one thing.

Even if I do catch up to them, the battle might already begin... And I might miss all the action to it...

Gritting my teeth a little, I took out my Field Card to prepare for battle. Leonidas seemed to have caught me doing so, as he scoffed in amusement.

"So we're actually doing this, then?" Leonidas asked, causing me to explain.

"Even if I don't accept her challenge, I still won't be able to help the others. If this girl works for Masquerade, then there might be a chance I could end up helping them by making one less threat go away..." I explained calmly.

Thankfully, my Guardian Bakugan seemed to understand as he didn't say anymore.

"So then... Are you ready to lose?" The girl asked, causing me to get ready.

"I'm ready... But not to lose... I'm ready to win and get some answers from you!" I assured bravely as we both got ready to battle.

 **End POV**

* * *

But as both Sora and the girl took out their Field Cards, Dan came into view as he panted for all the walking he had to do to find the others.

"Ah... This is the place!" Dan panted, until Drago didn't seem to notice anyone that they knew.

"But where are your friends?" Drago asked, causing the Pyrus Brawler to blink before he looked around, until he saw...

"That's...! Sora! He's getting ready to battle...?" Dan pointed out as he ran over to where his Darkus Brawler might be at.

"Hey! Sora!" Dan called out, catching the Darkus Brawler's attention.

"Dan...?" was all the Darkus Brawler could say while the girl narrowed her eyes, looking rather annoyed for the interference.

"So that's Dan Kuso..." The girl breathed out to herself as a Bakugan got onto her shoulder, revealing itself to be a Darkus Siege.

"Do not worry, my lady... Even if it should be two against one, we can still take them on." Siege spoke, causing the girl to smile a little, feeling rather comforted by her Bakugan's words.

"Thanks, Hakumei... Let's win together..." The girl said, earning a nod from the Darkus Bakugan.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

Near where the planes are running to move, Runo, Marucho, and Alice got ready to face the two boys, as they were named Kosuke and Takashi... The girl behind them was named Miu as Runo and Marucho were ready to battle.

"Runo, do you really think we can beat these two? Maybe we should go find Dan and Sora before we start the battle." Marucho suggested, only to have his suggestion swat down by the annoyed Haos Brawler.

"No way! We don't need Sora or Dan here! Look, I know we can take these two! Besides, we've got Alice here to help us!" Runo reminded, much to the supporter's concern as she frowned at the situation.

Before she could protest, the Haos Brawler pointed out on how even both sides were as there were two Bakugan Brawlers on each side, with Alice and Miu being the supporters.

"There's two of us and two of them! So we're good to go! Let's get it on!" Runo declared as she attached her Bakugan Launcher onto her right arm, causing the boys to snicker at her determination.

"Takashi, did you hear that...?" Kosuke asked, causing the Pyrus player to turn to his Darkus teammate.

"Yeah, this ought to be fun. Finally, we found some decent competition." Takashi agreed, as Mui tried to reason with the two.

"Hey guys... Are you sure about this?" Miu asked. She recalled of what the boys agreed to do earlier for Masquerade, and she did not like the way this was going.

"You don't want us to battle?" Takashi asked, as he sounded bewildered for what she was about to say. Kosuke seemed to agree as he tried to convince the girl that this was the best way to get what they want.

"Miu, if we beat them... You get to see your brother again." Kosuke reminded, causing the girl to hesitate. Yet, she didn't say anymore as she knew that with the way things are going, she couldn't change their minds about the battle.

But to the Brawlers' perceptive, the Aquos Brawler took it as Miu strategizing for them.

"That girl must be planning their strategy for them..." Marucho guessed.

But the Haos Brawler was impatient for a fight as she demanded her two opponents to bring out their cards.

"Hey! Quit yapping and let's brawl!" Runo snapped, allowing the four Brawlers to get ready as they brought out their Field Cards.

* * *

 **Back to Sora and Dan...**

"Wait, so this girl is the one that challenged you all of a sudden?" Dan asked, earning a nod from the Darkus Brawler.

"Yeah... I need to see for sure whether if she's the enemy of Bakugan or not..." Sora explained as the girl watched the two boys speak as she tapped her foot, sounding rather impatient for Sora to accept her challenge.

"If you two boys are done talking, then can we get on with this battle? I don't like to waste my time around people that talks too much, really..." The girl reminded, causing the boys to turn their attention back to her.

"Well, that's just rude..." Dan grumbled as Sora took out his Field Card. The girl did the same while the Pyrus Brawler got ready to watch the battle.

"FIELD, OPEN!"

The three Brawlers activated their Field Cards, as the Attribute Hexagram surrounded the three Brawlers. While they were doing that...

* * *

 **Back to Marucho and Runo...**

"FIELD, OPEN!"

Runo, Marucho, Kosuke, and Takashi activated their Field Cards to begin their battle as well, as both sides held onto Alice and Miu, allowing their own battle to begin.

* * *

 **Back to Sora and Dan...**

 **Sora** **VS Imelda**

 _"So her name is Imelda...? Where have I heard that name before...?"_ Sora thought as he took notice of the name of his opponent, thanks to his Baku-Pod.

Nevertheless, the Pyrus Brawler watched as both Darkus Brawlers took out their Gate Cards and threw them onto the field.

"Gate Card, set!"

The two Gate Cards enlarged themselves as they landed on the ground, allowing the two Brawlers to get ready for battling.

 **01T**

"Allow me to make the first move... Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Mantris** , stand!"

Imelda throws her first Darkus Bakugan onto where her Gate Card is... As it opens, it reveals to be the dark mantis-like Bakugan!

 **02T**

"Mantris, huh... In that case... Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Griffon** , stand!"

The griffin-like Bakugan roars and faces Mantris as the first battle begins with the girl activating the Gate Card.

"Gate Card, open! **Triple Battle**!" Imelda calls out, as the Command Card opens, creating a wall to prevent Griffon from attacking Mantris!

"It was a trap card! Now the battle can't go on unless that girl sends out another Bakugan to fight against Sora's Griffon!" Dan pointed out, as Sora narrowed his eyes. But just as he got ready, the girl took out another Gate Card!

 **03T**

"Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! Darkus Hakumei, stand!"

The second Darkus Bakugan appeared, revealing itself to be... a Darkus Siege?

"Darkus Siege...? Yet, she called it Hakumei...?" Sora expressed his confusion as Leonidas scoffed.

"That human girl must be mental to think Bakugan can just have nicknames..." Leonidas grunted until the Bakugan stared down to where Sora and Leonidas were.

"Silence, you insignificant worm! I serve the lady here in order to become stronger, as she uses me in battle so that we can become much stronger together as a team!" Siege, now known as Hakumei snapped angrily.

"Whoa, creepy! It talked!?" Dan gasped until Drago pointed out on what's really confusing.

"Hold on, Dan. Look again at the battlefield. Why is Siege on another Gate Card when it could've helped that girl's Mantris on defeating Griffon?" Drago pointed out. The boys turned in surprise to see what the Pyrus Bakugan was saying.

"Drago's right... She should've sent her Bakugan to the Triple Battle Card, so that would've made it easier for her to beat Griffon..." Sora commented as the girl narrowed her eyes.

"What are you waiting for? Are you just gonna stand there or are we gonna battle?" Imelda asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to glare back at her.

 **04T**

"I'm ready for you! Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Hynoid** , stand!" Sora called out as he threw his Bakugan to where Griffon and Mantris were at. But the moment Hynoid stood with Griffon, the girl smirked.

"Hah... You're all mine now." Imelda smirked, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise.

"Say what...?!" Sora started to ask until the Darkus girl activated an Ability Card, one that caught both Dan and Sora by surprise.

"Ability Card, activate! **Sling Blazer**!" Imelda called out, allowing Mantris to fly in the air and grab onto Griffon!

"What!?" was all Sora could say as Mantris threw Griffon onto where Hakumei was standing on, which was Imelda's second Gate Card.

"Sling Blazer is an Ability that only Mantris can use. It can force another Bakugan into another card, just like how the Marionette Ability Card works." Imelda explained, causing Sora to widen his eyes as he watched to see Griffon struggle against Hakumei.

Hynoid on the other hand, was completely dominated by Mantris, as both of his Pokémon were slashed apart and knocked high into the air in defeat! Both of his Darkus Bakugan returned to their ball form and rolled to him in defeat.

 **Sora: 1 Bakugan**

"No way... She beat both Griffon and Hynoid... at the same time!" Sora gasped as Dan gaped on how well done the playing was done.

"That was some sneak attack... She tricked Sora into another trap, and then dragged his first Bakugan into her stronger Bakugan..." Dan breathed out, causing Drago to point out the disadvantage Sora was in.

"And now Sora is just left with one Bakugan, which is Leonidas. If this girl is more skilled than we think she is, then even Leonidas might have a little trouble to try and beat her and her Bakugan." Drago pointed out.

Dan could only watch as Sora got ready for the next battle. Imelda looked ready as she took out Mantris to fight again

 **05T**

"This is too easy... Think you can survive my next assault? Bakugan, brawl! Mantris, stand!" Imelda called out as the mantis-like Bakugan appeared to face Sora and his remaining Bakugan once again.

At seeing Mantris being sent out to fight once more, the Darkus Brawler took a deep breath and sighed, before he turned to his Guardian Bakugan for some assistance in the battle.

"Well, Leonidas... I have to rely on you again for this. Think you can take it?" Sora asked, only to get an amused scoff from his Guardian Bakugan.

"I don't think, Sora. I know that I'll be able to win this battle for us." Leonidas said as he closed himself into a ball, allowing his human partner to take him and throw him out to the battlefield.

"Here goes, then! Bakugan, brawl! **Leonidas** , stand!" Sora called out, allowing the dark dragon Bakugan to roar and appear on the battlefield. Imelda took notice of it as she frowned at the sight of him.

"So that's the aggressive Bakugan, Leonidas..." Imelda breathed out before she activated an Ability Card.

"Ability Card, activate! **Spice Slayer**!" Imelda shouted out, as the Ability Card began to drain Leonidas' power, so that Mantris would take it as its own!

 _"Leonidas' Power Level decreases to 300 G's. Mantris' Power Level increases to 400 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, until Sora countered back with his own Ability Card, along with the Gate Card.

"Don't think that'll work! Gate Card, open! **Character**!" Sora called out, as Leonidas' Power Level doubled to 600.

"And... Ability Card, activate! **Alpha** **Blaster**!" Sora exclaimed as the Ability Card raised his Power Level even more!

 _"Power Level increases to 1000 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to the Darkus girl's surprise.

"A Power Level of 1000!? That's impossible...!" Imelda breathed out in disbelief, before she watched Leonidas completely eliminate Mantris from the game, defeating it and causing it to return to its ball form.

 **Imelda: 2 Bakugan**

 **06T**

Imelda clenches her fist a little, before she lets them go as she takes a deep breath before turning back to where Sora stood, who got Leonidas back into his hand.

"Not bad... but I do wonder if you can continue this battle up...? Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Warius** , stand!" Imelda called out, as the warrior-like Bakugan roared as it got ready to make its attack.

 **07T**

"We can take it... Leonidas! Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand!" Sora called out as Leonidas faced Warius this time! But it was at that moment when the Darkus girl activated her trap card once more to try and take the win.

"You're mine now! Gate Card, open! **Mind Ghost**!" Imelda called out, causing the boys to widen their eyes as the Command Card activated to defeat both Leonidas and Warius to make the battle a draw!

"No way! Not happening! Ability Card, activate! **Grand Down**!" Sora shouted out, as the Ability Card managed to cancel out the Gate Card, preventing it from defeating both Leonidas and Warius at the same time.

 _"Gate Card cancelled..."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to the girl's annoyance as she narrowed her eyes.

"He just made my Gate Card useless!" Imelda breathed out in disbelief before she watched Warius get slashed and knocked high into the air by Leonidas, before returning to its ball form in defeat.

 **Imelda: 1 Bakugan**

 **08T**

Leonidas returned to Sora's hand once again as Dan grinned at the sight of his comrade making a comeback during the battle.

"That was sweet, dude! Now she's just got one Bakugan left! Plus, she's only left with one Ability Card, since she used all three of her Gate Cards and two of her Ability Cards!" Dan pointed out with a grin.

"Right... Just one more and it's over..." Sora agreed, until the boys turned to see Imelda getting ready for another battle...

"Hakumei... can I count on you to finish this battle off?" Imelda asked, as Siege, now known as Hakumei opened up and comforted the Darkus girl into trusting him for the victory of this battle.

"Of course, my lady. I won't let you down in this battle." Hakumei assured before he reverted into his ball form to allow Imelda to throw him out to the battlefield. Sora on the other hand, just watched before he took out his Gate Card.

"This is it... It all comes down to this! Gate Card, set!" Sora called out as the Gate Card enlarged itself for Imelda to send her Bakugan out, as she didn't have any Gate Cards remaining left.

"It's on... Bakugan, brawl! Darkus Hakumei, stand!" Imelda called out, as Siege rose to the field, prepared for battle.

"This battle shall be won by my lady and I! Prepare yourself, worms! Because this is going to get very ugly for you!" Hakumei yelled as he spun his spear to get ready for some battle action.

 **09T**

"I still can't get over on how that Bakugan could talk, but... no matter." Sora grumbled to himself before he checked his Baku-Pod.

 _"Siege's Power Level 370 G's. No other data available."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed before Sora got ready to fight once more.

"Just one more, Leonidas! Ready?" Sora asked, causing the Darkus Bakugan to sound amused.

"No problem... Let's go!" Leonidas called out as he turned into a ball to let the Darkus Brawler throw him out to the battlefield.

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora shouted out, as he sent out his Guardian Bakugan to face Hakumei.

"Bakugan, brawl!" The two Brawlers called out as Hakumei began to clash with Leonidas, as the knight-like Bakugan thrusted his spear to try and strike the dark dragon, only for Leonidas to keep dodging and evading every strike that's thrown at him!

"Stay still, worm! You're nothing compared to what I'm about to give you!" Hakumei demanded, earning an angry glare from the Darkus Bakugan.

"Did you just call me worm!? Your Power Level is nothing compared to mine, Siege! It's time we teach you on how to learn your place!" Leonidas snapped, as Sora opened the Gate Card to boost more power into the battle.

"Gate Card, open!" Sora shouted out as the Darkus Reactor card activated, boosting both Hakumei and Leonidas' Power Level by 200! Now Hakumei is left with 570 G's while Leonidas now has 600 G's.

It was at that moment when Sora activated an Ability Card to seal the battle's victory for himself.

"Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**!" Sora called out, as the Darkus Bakugan got ready to launch his attack.

"Prepare yourself! This is the end of the line for you, Siege!" Leonidas roared as he launched his attack, until Imelda countered with her final Ability Card.

"Don't think so... Ability Card, activate! **Dark Spear**!" Imelda called out as the Gate Card was suddenly cancelled!

"What!?" Sora gasped as he took notice of both Leonidas and Hakumei's Power Level decreasing by 200 as the boost was negated.

 _"With the Gate Card cancelled, each Bakugan's Power Level decreases by 200. Siege's Power Level increases to 470 G's. Leonidas' Power Level decreases to 500 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to Imelda's frustration.

"Ugh, no... it's not enough!" Imelda grunted as she watched the Alpha Blaster Ability blast through the Dark Spear Ability!

"My lady... Please forgive me!" Hakumei grunted as he was defeated before he reverted back to his ball form, rolling to where Imelda's feet was in defeat. The Darkus girl clenched her fist while biting her lips as she fell to her knees in defeat.

 **Imelda: 0 Bakugan**

 **WIN: Sora**

* * *

With the battle over, time was restored to normal as Imelda was still on the ground, before she picked herself up and glared to where the Darkus Brawler stood.

"This isn't over, Sora Minazuki... I will beat you one day..." Imelda grunted angrily before she ran off, much to the Darkus Brawler's surprise.

"Hey, wait!" Sora called out, until Dan put a hand on his shoulder, stopping his friend from going after the girl that Sora defeated just now.

"Drop it, dude... Going after her isn't going to help us right now, especially since we're apart from the others, now." Dan reminded, causing the Darkus Brawler to calm down and stop, before he sighed in agreement.

"Yeah... I guess..." Sora agreed, before the two sat on the chair together to wait for their friends to come by if they were still around.

* * *

 **Later...**

The boys were still waiting around for Runo, Marucho, and Alice to come by as the Darkus Brawler explained to the Pyrus Brawler of what the others were up to before Imelda had intervened with him.

"Say what!? So they were challenged by more of Masquerade's goons!? Man... I wished I was a part of that action... But say, who do you think that girl was? She seemed kinda familiar, but I don't know what it is..." Dan asked.

"Don't know... All I know, is that she has a talking Bakugan, which she calls Hakumei... which is actually a Darkus Siege." Sora lied, as he was unsure of whether to tell the Pyrus Brawler about the girl's name.

"Mm... Well, she didn't have a Doom Card. I guess that proves that she's not one of those clowns from Masquerade." Dan sighed, before Drago opened up.

"Still... she seemed to view you two as enemies, judging by the way she looked at you two. There's no telling of when she might come around again. So be sharp." Drago advised, causing the Pyrus Brawler to frown.

"Yeah, I guess..." Dan agreed before he put his hands behind the back of his head and sighed.

"Something up, Dan? I mean, besides the frustration on how you missed the action..." Sora asked, causing the Pyrus Brawler to frown before he raised a question to the Darkus Brawler.

"Hey... You know... I once heard about a guy who got lost in an airport for a whole year! Hope that doesn't happen to us..." Dan said, causing the Darkus Brawler to sweat drop as Drago scoffed.

"Well, if it does... it'll be your fault! And it'll also be your fault for dragging Sora into this mess!" Drago snapped, only to get the Pyrus Brawler to glare at him.

"Hey! Don't blame me! It's that girl's fault that Sora got held up in here anyway..." Dan started to argue, causing Leonidas to turn away with an unamused scoff while the Darkus Brawler tried to calm the two down.

"Don't fight, you guys... I'm sure the others will find us eventually..." Sora started to say until a new voice piped up, expressing his amazement!

"Wow, that's cool! I heard your Bakugan talking to you! You're lucky!" A little boy called out, causing the two Brawlers to turn and see a little boy expressing his excitement to see or hear Drago being able to talk to them.

Dan chuckled as he walked over in amusement, with Sora following behind him. The Pyrus Brawler crouched down to the boy's level, before asking him a question.

"Do you like playing Bakugan?" Dan asked, earning a nod from the little boy.

"Mm hm! My sister's friends, Takashi and Kosuke taught me how to play the game! You both should see the two of them play! I'm sure they're the best Bakugan players in the whole world!" The boy exclaimed.

 _"Takashi and Kosuke...? Wait, those guys I've seen with that girl... Could those guys be the ones this kid is talking about? And that girl... Could she be this kid's sister, too...?"_ Sora thought while Dan grinned at hearing about the two.

"Yeah? Well, if they're that good, I wouldn't mind battling them sometime. What do you think, Sora?" Dan asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to blink before he nodded sheepishly, along with a sheepish smile.

"Huh? Oh... yeah... Yeah I would like that, too." Sora explained sheepishly before the boy blinked, realizing something.

"Oh... I forgot! I have to go meet up with my sister right now!" The boy realized, causing Drago to question the little boy.

"Your sister?" Drago asked, allowing the boy to explain.

"My sister's name is Miu! And she lives here in the city! I asked my Dad if we could come visit, and that's why I'm here!" The boy explained, causing Sora to smile in understanding, as did Dan.

"Gotcha... Well, say hi to your sister for me. And tell Takashi and Kosuke to keep on battling!" Dan chuckled, before he offered a shake to the boy, which he immediately accepted with a bright smile.

"Sure!" The boy said as he shook hands with Dan, before turning to the Darkus Brawler.

"It was nice meeting you both! Goodbye!" The boy said after he shook hands with Sora as well, much to the Darkus Brawler's surprise as he and Dan watched the boy leave from their sight.

"Huh..." Sora breathed out, catching the Pyrus Brawler's attention.

"What's the problem, dude? Don't tell me you've never talked to a kid in his age before...?" Dan asked, sounding like he was teasing the Darkus Brawler, causing Sora to give a sheepish smile to the Pyrus Brawler.

Before he could speak however, a familiar voice snapped them both out!

"AHA! There you both are!" Runo called out, causing the two boys to turn and see where Runo, Alice, and Marucho were!

"Oh... Uh... hi?" Dan said sheepishly while Sora raised his hands in a surrender.

"Look... I can explain perfectly on why I wasn't with you guys earlier on battling those goons from Masquerade..." Sora assured, causing the Haos Brawler to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh really...? What's that, kid?" Runo asked dangerously...

* * *

 **Later...**

"What...? You had a battle against a girl who suddenly challenged you?" Runo asked, earning a nod from the Darkus Brawler.

"Yeah... she ended up distracting me long enough to stop me from going after you guys... By the time the battle was over, I guess your battle with those guys ended as well, considering on how you guys spotted us..." Sora explained.

"Well, that makes sense... But it's kinda weird on how the girl challenged you like that while knowing your name. She didn't use the Doom Card during the battle, right?" Marucho asked, causing Dan to shake his head.

"Nope... No Doom Card. I guess that kinda proves she's not with Masquerade, but it kinda doesn't make her a friend for us, either..." Dan explained with a frown, before he glared at the others.

"And speaking of... Sora told me you guys were battling against some creeps from Masquerade the whole time!? You couldn't have just waited for the two of us to come over and help you guys!? Thanks for nothing, you guys." Dan grumbled angrily.

The Haos Brawler glared back at the Pyrus Brawler, reminding on whose fault it was for getting lost.

"Don't blame us! It's your fault for getting lost!" Runo retorted, only to have the argument stopped by Marucho, who gave a sheepish smile to his two friends.

"Don't fight, you two..." Marucho pleaded, causing the Pyrus Brawler to end the argument there before he gave a small smile to his friends.

"So... Sounds like you did alright without me. Or did you have some help? Was it Alice?" Dan asked, causing Sora to raise an eyebrow at the Pyrus Brawler while Alice just gave a small smile to Dan.

"Oh, no..." Alice reassured before she began to think again.

 _"Maybe now I should tell everyone about my Grandfather Michael and the strange dreams I've been having..."_ Alice thought before she tried to bring it up with the others.

"Guys... There's something I want to talk to you about..." Alice started to say until Dan brought out an ugly conversation about their masked enemy.

"So Runo... What was that you were saying about Masquerade?" Dan asked with folded arms and a small glare... a glare meant for the masked Brawler.

"He was messing with Miu's emotions, just so he could take our Bakugan!" Runo snapped, earning a nod from the Aquos Brawler. At the mention of the girl's name, the Darkus Brawler raised an eyebrow.

 _"So the girl we saw with those two must've been that boy's sister... Huh... What a coincidence..."_ Sora thought before he noticed the supporter of the Battle Brawlers struggling on what she wanted to say.

The others didn't seem to notice as Dan went on about the masked Brawler.

"That dude has no class and he'll do anything to get his own way!" Dan grumbled, which was when Alice tried to intervene again.

"Wait, Dan-" Alice tried again, only for the Pyrus Brawler to continue on rambling.

"He's joined forces with that guy Michael! They're planning to wipe out Drago's home world Vestroia, but we won't let that happen!" Dan snapped, earning nods from both Runo and Marucho.

That seemed to have caught Alice off guard before she stopped herself from wanting to say anymore. Taking notice of this, the Darkus Brawler tried to ask on what problems the supporter was having.

"Alice... Is something wrong?" Sora asked, causing the others to turn and see their friend looking like she was struggling again.

"Huh...? Oh... Oh, it's nothing, Sora." Alice assured, causing the Darkus Brawler to raise an eyebrow before the others got back to what they wanted to say again, until Marucho brought up the topic of wanting to eat something!

"I'm famished! Let's go to Runo's house for tuna surprise! Who's in?" Marucho asked, causing Dan and Runo to immediately say that they were in. While the others were doing that, Sora turned to the supporter, who still seemed down on something.

 _"Something is definitely bugging Alice... I need to know what's biting her, but... I shouldn't press her. Yet it still bothers me... What is she really thinking in her mind?"_ Sora thought before he glanced back to see the others chatting about the tuna surprise.

To be continued...

* * *

 **Sora's Ranking and Battles:**

 **Rank: 302**

 **W/L: 8/1**

 **Next chapters:**

 **Chapter 8: The Challenge from the Mask!**

 **Chapter 9: We Need Our Ventus Friend!**

 **Chapter 10: The Old Times Get Better**

 **Chapter 11: Childhood Friend to Face Off!**

 **Chapter 12: The Story About Vestroia**

 **Preview :**

 **Sora** \- On the next time on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, with Alice joining us as she moves to Runo's restaurant for the summer, I wanted to talk to Dan about some tips of becoming a better Battle Brawler than I am now. But things get ugly when I get invited by a certain Brawler named Masquerade! Apparently, he heard of me due to my battling reputation or due to Marduk probably telling him about me and Leonidas. So when I get challenged to a battle, I just knew that things are going to get ugly for me! But with Leonidas on my side, there's a slight hope that I can make it through this mess!

 **Sora** \- Bakugan, brawl! Until next time!


	8. The Challenge from the Mask!

**Chapter 8: The Challenge from the Mask!**

 **Dan** \- My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere! At first, they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game! That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all! They were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan! And together with my friends, Runo! Marucho! Julie! Sora! Not to mention Mr. Hotshot himself, Shun! And Alice! We are...

 **Battle Brawlers** \- The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

 **Dan** \- Bakugan! One goal, two worlds!

* * *

 **(Bakugan Battle Brawlers Opening 1)**

 ** _What are ya gonna do?_**

(Dan enters into battle with the field revealing itself)

 ** _The odds are stacked against you,  
Back against the wall,_**

(Dan and Masquerade activate their cards to begin battle)

(The two brawlers launch their Bakugan against each other)

 ** _You gotta give it your all,_**

(Sora floats around with his Guardian Bakugan, Leonidas)

 ** _This is the final stand,_**

(Multiple scenes of different Bakugan appear)

 ** _The powers in your hand!_**

(Dan throws a Gate Card)

 ** _Two worlds collide,  
On the inside,_**

(Naga reaches for the Infinity and the Silent Core)

(Vestroia gets affected by Naga's actions)

(Drago uses Boosted Dragon on an opponent)

(Scenes of Marduk and Vladitor appear)

 ** _You got to fight for what's right,_**

(Sora raises an unknown card before the card glows)

 ** _Before it's gone,  
Gone, gone,  
This is Bakugan!_**

(Dan and Marucho prepares for battle while Sora and Runo waits)

(Dan returns a Bakugan with a grin)

(The title appears)

 **[Opening Ends]**

* * *

Opening the door to his home, the Darkus Brawler stepped in and sighed, before placing the shopping bags down on the ground.

"Oh man... Who knew that shopping for food was going to be so exhausting... I mean, it's not the first time I shopped before, but to this length..." Sora groaned as he slumped down onto the couch.

"Hmph... Maybe it's because you hardly exercise. You were panting all the way while we were heading for the supermarket, and it started to get worse while we were coming back to your home." Leonidas reprimanded.

"Hey, give me a break... With Alice being on our team now and with the sudden battle I had to do with that Imelda girl, can you blame me for wanting to take a break? I just want to relax from battling today-"

That was when the darkness loomed over him... And that darkness would be...

"UNACCEPTABLE!" Leonidas bellowed, startling Sora as he yelped in surprise.

"No relaxing when there's a good chance for a Bakugan battle! Did you not forget the humiliating defeat we had against that masked human and Vladitor!? We need to train more in order to get stronger!" Leonidas shouted out loud.

Upon being reminded of their near loss against Marduk, who claimed that he was the best Bakugan player in the world, the Darkus Brawler frowned, recalling of what could've happened if he had continued to play the wrong way.

For the Guardian Bakugan, he noticed the change in mood of his Brawler's face as he quickly turned silent.

"Sorry... That was uncalled for..." Leonidas apologized with a grunt, causing the Darkus Brawler to shake his head.

"It's fine... And I guess you were right about one thing... That battle may have ended up in a draw because of the field starting to collapse because of the power, but if it continued on without a problem, then we would've lost..." Sora sighed, scratching his head.

Then there was also the time when he had lost to Dan and Drago during their test to become a member of the Battle Brawlers. It was a close battle, but it ended in their defeat...

 _"I guess there is one thing I have to change... How I spend my time..."_ Sora thought before he picked his head up from the couch before getting up. Taking a deep breath, the Darkus Brawler made a decision.

"Time to eat!" Sora declared, causing the Guardian Bakugan to sweat drop.

"That's what you were prepared for...?" Leonidas grunted, sounding rather irritated yet he said nothing to complain.

* * *

 **Later...**

"Thanks for the food..." Sora spoke softly before he clapped his hands together. Leonidas remained silent as he watched the Darkus Brawler take a bowl of rice and crack a egg on a small empty bowl!

Then, by opening the egg, the yolk and the egg whites fell on the rice, causing the yolk and the whites to spread. Finally, with a small bottle of soy sauce, the final ingredient was placed as the egg yolk and the whites were covered by the sauce.

Even the rice was covered by the sauce as well. With the ingredients all put into place, the Darkus Brawler picked up his chopsticks and began to mix them all around. As he continued to mix, the color began to change.

It changed to a rather dark orange or dark yellow color as the rice was soon more of a dark colored rice! With the mixing done, the Darkus Brawler took a bite and smiled.

"Not bad..." Sora commented as he continued to devour onto the rice with the Darkus Bakugan watching.

 _"What is that kid eating...? A mix of those... ingredients? Humans are peculiar as always. It's just like what Drago had said once..."_ Leonidas questioned in his mind before he huffed, turning away.

* * *

 **After lunch...**

"Phew... That was good." Sora chuckled to himself before putting the dirty dish away to the sink as he began to clean it up with the dishwashing supplies. As he was doing so...

The Baku-Pod began to make a notification sound, causing Sora to put away the now clean dish to his watch as he checked to see who was contacting him. The one who was contacting him was...

"Dan?" Sora called as he picked up the call.

"Yo, Sora! What's going on?" Dan asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to raise a brow.

"What's going on? What's going on is that I just finished having lunch... Rice with an egg and soy sauce..." Sora explained, earning a rather disgusted look from the Pyrus Brawler.

"Oh, seriously...? You eat that stuff?" Dan asked grimly, causing Sora to narrow his eyes.

"Oh come on... They're good for you. Don't tell me you've never tried it before and concluding that it tastes bad...?" Sora asked, causing the Pyrus Brawler to scratch the back of his head and whistle innocently.

The Darkus Brawler sweat dropped before he sighed as he raised a question to the Pyrus Brawler.

"So? What is it that you want to talk to me about?" Sora asked, causing Dan to bring up a question.

"Ya see... ever since Alice joined the Battle Brawlers, and with what happened at the airport, I thought some Bakugan training would help us increase our skills and to get us both stronger in battle!" Dan explained.

That caught the Darkus Brawler's attention as he narrowed his eyes at the thought.

"You really think that will help? I mean, Bakugan is about defeating your opponent in a good way, right? I mean, there's strategy with the cards and which Bakugan you send out..." Sora started to say before he was interrupted.

"I know that. But we gotta get some our training done so that the Bakugan aren't the only ones doing the fighting! Come on, it's like a physical training that we could do together!" Dan offered, earning a sweat drop from Sora.

"You said this was Bakugan training...? This feels like more of a training people do at a gymnasium..." Sora pointed out, causing Dan to chuckle a little sheepishly before the Darkus Brawler smiled back a little.

"Sounds good... When?" Sora asked, allowing the Pyrus Brawler to set up a date for their training time.

"How about tomorrow afternoon? I mean, I don't think I got any plans during that day." Dan suggested, causing the Darkus Brawler to smile and accept the offer for a training session together.

"Sounds good. Tomorrow afternoon it is." Sora agreed, before ending the call.

With that done, the Darkus Brawler sat down on the couch before he heard his Guardian Bakugan rolling over.

"Training session? I suppose I won't be involved in it? And neither Drago?" Leonidas asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to give a sheepish smile.

"If it's not going to be a Bakugan battle training session, then I don't think so..." Sora responded, earning an irritated grunt from the Darkus Bakugan.

"Hmph." was all Leonidas could say before he curled up into his ball form.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

At an unknown location, a familiar masked Brawler was searching something into his computer...

"Interesting... From the data I gathered of the Bakugan players that failed to take the Brawlers down, it would seem like they have something new to their little group..." Masquerade chuckled.

Clicking around, Masquerade found the data of the person he was looking for.

"Sora Minazuki... The Bakugan Brawler who has Leonidas, the Bakugan that was born in the Doom Dimension. I suppose he is the kid that you were talking about earlier...?" Masquerade asked, causing another presence to reveal himself.

"That's right... His skills aren't too bad, but the way he battles is like a complete beginner. If it weren't for that energy interference, Leonidas would've been sent to the Doom Dimension." Marduk explained with a smirk.

"And what of Vladitor?" Masquerade asked, causing Marduk to explain while scratching the back of his head with a sigh.

"He has a mind of his own... Apparently, the battle he had with that dark snake was rather irritating him. Not only was his offer was rejected, but the battle came out as a no result despite out advantage..." Marduk explained.

The masked Brawler turned back to his computer, before continuing to search for more of Sora's information.

"So the proud Bakugan warrior is sulking for the no results...?" Masquerade asked, causing a shrug from Marduk's shoulders.

"Probably... But what I want to know is on what you're planning to do with all this little information that you've been searching up." Marduk asked, only to receive silence from the Rank #1 Brawler.

Then, before the half-masked Brawler could ask or say something, the Rank #1 Darkus Brawler made his answer.

"I just want to give him a little test to see whether what you've experienced was true or not. You may have battled this kid and his partner before, but to me... that was all just words..." Masquerade explained coolly.

That earned him a small glare from his half-masked ally as Marduk couldn't help but twitch his eyebrows a little, signaling that he was a little annoyed for what the Rank #1 Brawler could be saying.

"You say that I lie?" Marduk asked, earning a smirk from Masquerade.

"You were a Bakugan player that used underhanded tactics to win after all. Even your words could possibly be lies, thanks to your little reputation in the past." Masquerade stated, causing Marduk to narrow his eyes.

"Watch your mouth, creep... You may be the strongest Bakugan player of the whole world right now, but that can change once Vladitor and I challenge you someday!" Marduk snapped, before he watched the masked Brawler make his leave.

"I'm looking forward to that if that happens someday..." The Rank #1 Brawler stated as he took his leave. As soon as he left though, the half-masked Brawler scoffed in annoyance before he looked to where Masquerade's computer screen was.

 _"Sora Minazuki... I swear... that I will settle that score with you... by sending your precious Bakugan into the Doom Dimension."_ Marduk thought darkly before he took his leave to another location.

* * *

 **Back to Sora...**

It wasn't until the next day came as Sora was in the park, waiting for the Pyrus Brawler to come. He was sitting on the bench, waiting as he looked around to see some of the kids playing around with their parents.

Some of the kids were playing around with their other friends, all looking like they were enjoying their time together...

Watching them, the Darkus Brawler just frowned, thinking back to the past when he was like them until a certain incident changed him, little by little as time went by.

The Guardian Bakugan took notice of Sora's expression as he got onto his shoulder with a question.

"What's with you? You sad or something?" Leonidas asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to blink before he shook his head.

"No, I'm fine... I was just thinking about the past... back way before Bakugan came to Earth..." Sora explained, causing the Darkus Bakugan to look at his human partner curiously, yet he said nothing.

* * *

 **An hour later...**

The summer heat was torturing the Darkus Brawler as he twitched, feeling the heat surround him all over as he looked at his Baku-Pod to see that it was pat 30 minutes of when Dan was supposed to come and meet him.

"What's keeping him...? I don't think he would be this late if he was coming to an appointment..." Sora asked in an irritated tone, before Leonidas scoffed.

"He probably chickened out." Leonidas guessed, causing the Darkus Brawler to shake his head.

"No way... Dan isn't the type of person to chicken out of a battle or a training session... Could something have happened to him like with what happened when Drago was defeated by Marduk?" Sora asked, causing Leonidas to scoff again.

"Beats me... If Drago was defeated by someone again, you would've gotten a message at least like before." Leonidas reminded, causing Sora to frown.

"I think I'll visit his home. He did give me the address to his home if I ever wanted to visit..." Sora suggested before he got up to leave the park.

* * *

 **Later...**

"This is the place." Sora declared as he was in front of a rather nice looking house... for a common family. Looking at the address that he had written on a slip of paper and looking at the address number... Sora looked back at the house.

"This is definitely the place..." Sora grunted as he approached the front door and rang the doorbell.

A few minutes passed and no one responds, causing the Darkus Brawler to narrow his eyes as he tried to knock on the door. But as he touched the door a little, it opened a little!

"Huh...? It's... unlocked? But why?" Sora asked as he headed inside to see no one in the living room or in the dining room. Frowning in concern, the Darkus Brawler searched around to see if anyone was around, or if there was a hint of someone leaving a note.

Surprisingly, there was no one around. Not even a trace of a person.

"You think they're all gone and left the door foolishly open? I remember you ended up doing that once when we came back from that airport..." Leonidas reminded, causing Sora to glare at his Guardian Bakugan.

"Hey! It was a mistake, and besides... the Kuso family wouldn't just leave the door unlocked or open. I mean, Dan isn't the only one living here after all..." Sora retorted with a pout before he headed upstairs.

As he headed in to a room, it seemed to be Dan's room as the Darkus Brawler looked around.

"This must be Dan's room... Gotta say, it looks kinda neat." Sora commented before he noticed something on the desk. Raising an eyebrow, the Darkus Brawler picked it up to see that it was...

"Is this... a note?" Sora asked before he opened it up to read on what it said... The words written on the note was what shocked him next as he widened his eyes in surprise.

"What!?" Sora gasped, causing Leonidas to turn to the Darkus Brawler in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Leonidas asked as Sora read the content of the note once more to see if he had read it right.

 _"Sora Minazuki,_

 _I am Masquerade. If you were looking for Dan Kuso, then I have him under my control, along with his Bakugan, Drago. If you want to save them, come to the warehouses in the docks by 3'o clock. And come alone, along with your Bakugan. But be on time, because I do not like to wait for too long."_

Clenching onto the note, Sora gritted his teeth as he glared at his clenched fist that contained the note.

"Masquerade... How could you...!?" Sora snapped as Leonidas perked up upon hearing the name. From what he knew thanks to Sora and the other humans, Masquerade was the strongest Bakugan Brawler ever.

But it wasn't a good part, as he was a Brawler who likes to send Bakugan into the Doom Dimension, while using his followers to do the same to other players or Brawlers that love to play Bakugan.

"So... it's come to this, then..." Leonidas grunted, as Sora took a deep breath before he glared to where the outside was.

"Dan..." Sora breathed out before he ran out of the room and out of the house. What he didn't know was that someone had noticed him running out of the house as the figure widened her eyes in surprise.

"Huh? What was that kid doing...?" The woman spoke in surprise as she watched Sora disappear into the distance.

* * *

 **At the warehouse at the docks...**

Running to the destination of where the warehouses were, Sora headed inside as he searched around to search for his foe or for any sign of his friend.

"Hey! Come out, Masquerade!" Sora demanded loudly, as his voice echoed in the insides of the warehouse. Nothing seemed to happen, until the warehouse doors began to close by themselves!

Turning in surprise, the Darkus Brawler ran to try and open them, only for them to be locked as he narrowed his eyes.

"A trap?" Sora breathed out, until a familiar voice caught his attention.

"That's right... I honestly didn't think you would fall for it, however." The familiar voice chuckled as Sora looked up to see Masquerade standing on top of a tower of crates, smirking down at him!

"You're... Masquerade, the Rank #1 Brawler..." Sora breathed out before he shook his head and glared at the enemy.

"What did you do with Dan and Drago!? If you did something to them...!" Sora growled as the masked Brawler chuckled before he jumped down, landing in front of the Darkus Brawler, before making his answer.

"If you're looking for them, then they're not here. I can only imagine him going home after a little trip to the market thanks to his mother..." Masquerade declared, catching Sora off guard.

"So they're not here... Looks like we were tricked into coming here..." Leonidas growled as Sora widened his eyes before he glared back at the enemy.

"How perceptive of you. That's right... They were never under my control in the first place. And even if I did try to force them to join me, I only know that they would resist and try to challenge me." Masquerade stated, as Sora bit his lips.

"So that note was a lie to try and lure me into your web... You knew that I would come, knowing that I would do anything for a friend..." Sora grunted before Masquerade chuckled.

"Indeed... Ever since you joined into this little war between myself and the Brawlers, I started to become a little intrigued with you... especially with Leonidas... the Bakugan who was born from the Doom Dimension..." Masquerade explained as Sora narrowed his eyes.

"So what... You planning on brainwashing me so that I could become one of your pawns?" Sora questioned, only to see a Field Card in Masquerade's hand.

"Perhaps... once I defeat you and Leonidas. Judging from your battle with Marduk, I'm sure this won't be boring... but in truth, I still doubt it." Masquerade stated as Sora narrowed his eyes before he took out his Field Card.

But as soon as he did, pressure started to come into the Darkus Brawler's mind and body as he bit his lips, feeling the terrifying presence of what could be one of Masquerade's Bakugan...

 _"What is this feeling I'm getting...? Is this... fear? Am I... scared? No, that can't be it!"_ Sora thought as both Brawlers opened the field.

"FIELD, OPEN!"

The Attribute Hexagram appeared, surrounding the two Brawlers as time outside the warehouse was stopping before the battlefield opened to begin the battle.

* * *

 **Masquerade VS Sora**

"Doom Card, set..."

The masked Brawler wasted no time setting the Doom Card, as the card sunk under the field, creating a dark aura, causing Sora to narrow his eyes and clench his fist, as he knew that this would be coming.

But without saying anything, the Darkus Brawler took out his first Gate Card, with Masquerade doing the same thing.

"Gate Card, set!"

The two Gate Cards enlarged themselves the moment they landed, allowing the players to make the first move with Sora making the first shot.

 **01T**

"Here goes nothing... Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Griffon** , stand!" Sora shouted as the griffin-like Bakugan appeared on the Darkus Brawler's Gate Card, roaring the moment it appeared in its true form.

 **02T**

"Hmph... Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Laserman** , stand!" Masquerade called out as the robot-like Bakugan stood on Masquerade's first Gate Card, causing the Darkus Brawler to narrow his eyes.

 _"What's with that? He challenged me, yet he's not making an initiative to attack first. Is he planning something with that Gate Card?"_ Sora thought before Leonidas snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Sora! You're up!" Leonidas reminded, causing the Darkus Brawler to blink before he shook his head.

"R-Right... Sorry." Sora apologized before he took out a Gate Card.

 **03T**

"Gate Card, set!" Sora called as he threw a Gate Card on the right of the card where Griffon stood.

"Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Serpenoid** , stand!" Sora called out, as the serpent-like Bakugan hissed, preparing to strike its prey should it come as Masquerade watched, before he took out another Gate Card of his own!

 **04T**

"Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! Darkus **Mantris** , stand!" Masquerade called out as he sent a Bakugan on Laserman's left, as a mantis-like Bakugan appeared, causing Sora to blink as the masked Brawler made the first strike.

"And now, Ability Card, activate! **Marionette**!" Masquerade called out as the Ability Card allowed Mantris to target Griffon and paralyze it with its power! Sora widened his eyes as the masked Brawler commanded his Bakugan to force Griffon into battle.

"Send Griffon into Laserman's area!" Masquerade commanded as Mantris did so, forcing the griffin-like Bakugan to face Laserman as Sora gritted his teeth.

"He's forcing us into battle...!" Sora grunted as the masked Brawler made the second move.

"And now, Gate Card, open! **Grand Spirit**!" Masquerade called as the Command Card opened, giving a power boost to Laserman.

"My Grand Spirit Command Card gives an extra power bonus of 50 G's for every Gate Card there is on the field. And since there is four, well... I'm sure you can do the math, kid..." Masquerade pointed out as Sora checked his Baku-Pod.

 _"Laserman's Power Level increases by 200 G's, totaling to 570 G's..."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing Sora to narrow his eyes.

"570... That's not good. Ability Card, activate! **Spice Slayer**!" Sora shouted as the Ability Card allowed Griffon to drain 100 G's from Laserman. But despite the power steal...

 _"Griffon and Laserman's Power Level exchange by 100 G's. Laserman's Power Level now at 470 G's. Griffon's Power Level at 420 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to Sora's shock as he watched as Laserman blast Griffon away!

The griffin-like Bakugan roared before the portal to the Doom Dimension dragged him in as he was sent flying.

"NO! Griffon!" Sora screamed as he watched his Bakugan get sent to the dark dimensions because of its defeat.

 **Sora: 2 Bakugan**

Laserman returned to its master's hand as Masquerade only gave an amused smirk as Sora clenched his fists...

"You...!" Sora growled as Leonidas floated over to Sora to calm him down.

"Calm down, Sora! The battle has only begun! Don't let the loss of Griffon affect you!" Leonidas advised loudly, causing the Darkus Brawler to clench his fists...

"Darn it... I know that... I know that, but still...!" Sora growled before he grabbed onto Leonidas to send him into battle.

 **05T**

"Bakugan, brawl! **Leonidas** , stand!" Sora shouted out as his Guardian Bakugan roared, facing Mantris in battle!

"Gate Card, open! **Character**!" Masquerade called out, as the Mantris Character Card opened, doubling Mantris' Power Level to 700 G's! Noticing on how much power the mantis-like Bakugan had, the Darkus Brawler got ready to counter back.

"No you don't...! Ability Card, activate! **Grand Down**! This will make your Gate Card useless!" Sora snapped as the Ability powered down the Gate Card, negating the power boost it was supposed to give to Mantris.

 _"Gate Card cancelled..."_ The Baku-Pod informed as Masquerade didn't say anything. Nor did he try to counter as Leonidas knocked Mantris away with his claws! Upon being struck at, the mantis-like Bakugan screeched before it returned to its ball form.

 **Masquerade: 2 Bakugan**

But despite the fact that one of his Bakugan was defeated, the masked Brawler didn't seem fazed as he just chuckled in amusement.

"What's so funny!?" Sora demanded, only for the masked Brawler to take out Laserman again.

 **06T**

"Nothing. I just find your irritation quite amusing, especially since it's for something so meaningless." Masquerade responded back, causing Sora to widen his eyes before he glared at the masked Brawler.

"Meaningless...!?" Sora snapped as Masquerade began his turn.

"Bakugan, brawl! Laserman, stand!" Masquerade called out as he sent Laserman to face Serpenoid. But upon standing on Serpenoid's card, the robot-like Bakugan was already in an advantage due to its current Power Level.

"Gate Card, open!" Sora shouted out as the Character Card opened up, doubling Serpenoid's Power Level to 600 G's! But despite that, the masked Brawler remained unfazed as he took out an Ability Card of his own.

"I suppose I can put you in your place by activating the same card that made my Gate Card useless..." Masquerade stated, shocking Sora as he realized on what the masked Brawler was going to do now.

"Ability Card, activate! **Grand Down**!"

The Grand Down ability negated the Gate Card, like it did when Sora used it to negate Mantris' Character Card!

"Oh no!" Sora gasped as he checked his Baku-Pod to see the power boost being taken away from Serpenoid.

 _"Serpenoid's Power Level decreases to 300 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, before Sora looked up to see Laserman shooting to blast Serpenoid into the Doom Dimension, like it did with Griffon earlier!

"NO! SERPENOID!" Sora screamed as he watched another one of his Bakugan get sent to the Doom Dimension. With the entrance to the Doom Dimension fading away, the Darkus Brawler fall to his knees, his face showing despair...

"No... No... Not again... No...!" Sora breathed out as he began to breath in and out quickly, as the Guardian Bakugan began to notice the trouble Sora seemed to be in.

"Calm down, Sora. You're hyperventilating! You can't let the losses get to you like that! They may be gone, but don't let their sacrifice be in vain! This battle isn't over yet!" Leonidas called out, encouraging his human partner to stand back up.

"Don't bother on trying to help your so-called partner... Leonidas." Masquerade called out, catching the Darkus Bakugan's attention as he glared to where the masked Brawler was standing at with a smirk on his face.

"You may think your so-called partner would still have the courage to stand even after seeing two of his prized Bakugan be sent to the Doom Dimension, but that's where you're wrong. Anyone can taste despair upon losing what they call their friends... comrades... or even family..."

The masked Brawler then turned to Sora, who was still on his knees upon losing both Griffon and Serpenoid.

"What Sora is going through is nothing different from what the other Bakugan players went through... In fact, the way he is acting is much worse than the players I've defeated so far. And that goes for the same for the ones that were defeated by Vladitor." Masquerade explained darkly.

Upon hearing of his nemesis' name, the Guardian Bakugan growled, recalling of his near defeat as the bitter thought came to his mind. Yet, Leonidas doesn't say another word before he turns to his human partner.

"Sora... Get up. Get up!" Leonidas snapped, causing Sora to slowly perk up and glance to where his Guardian Bakugan was floating.

The dark dragon Bakugan floated over and got in front of his eyes, having an irritated tone as he spoke.

"Stand up and fight, Sora! Nothing good will come out of despairing over the losses of your Bakugan allies! They have fought but they have fallen... But do you think they would want their partner to be like this? Being on your knees and doing nothing about it!? Is that on how you want to fight for your fallen allies!? Well, is it!?" Leonidas roared angrily.

Upon hearing those words, the Darkus Brawler blinked before perking his head up. Masquerade took notice of the quick change as well, yet he remained unfazed, for despite the encouragement, he himself was still in the lead of this battle.

However, knowing that he is cornered, the Darkus Brawler thought of what his Guardian Bakugan had said just now, before he closed his eyes and slowly got back up to face the masked Brawler.

"No... This isn't how I would want to fight for them... for the ones that had fallen in this battle." Sora breathed out, catching the masked Brawler off guard a little.

 _"He stood back up... Interesting. So even tasting a bit of despair, he still wants to fight? Perhaps it's due to the influence Leonidas has given him as his Guardian Bakugan..."_ Masquerade thought as Sora began his turn.

 **07T**

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora called out as he sent his Guardian Bakugan out to the Gate Card where Griffon once stood before he was dragged into battle by Mantris' Marionette Ability...

Upon being brought into the battlefield, Leonidas roared, being prepared for what's about to come.

 **08T**

"Bakugan, brawl! Laserman, stand!" Masquerade called out as the robot-like Bakugan faced Leonidas. At that, the Darkus Brawler was ready.

"Gate Card, open!"

The Darkus Reactor Gate Card opened up, boosting both Leonidas and Laserman by a Power Level of 150.

 _"Gate Card opened, granting both Bakugan a Power Level of 150 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, showing that the dark dragon Bakugan was still in the lead. Upon receiving the power boost, Leonidas roared, knocking Laserman back with his tail!

Upon being knocked down, the robot-like Bakugan turned to its ball form, with Leonidas doing the same thing upon his victory. While Laserman rolled towards Masquerade's feet, the dark dragon Bakugan returned to Sora's hand.

 **Masquerade: 1 Bakugan**

Sighing in relief, the Darkus Brawler took out one last Gate Card.

 **09T**

"This is the last battle. Let's make this count! Gate Card, set!" Sora called out as his third Gate Card took the field, being the only one now before Sora held onto his Guardian Bakugan for the final battle.

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora called out as the dark dragon Bakugan roared upon appearing again. As for the masked Brawler, he only smirked confidently before he turned to the last Bakugan that he had with him.

"Are you ready, Hydranoid?" Masquerade asked, earning a response from the Bakugan that was still curled into a ball.

"I am... Master." The Darkus Bakugan growled, allowing Masquerade to set the Darkus Bakugan onto his launcher before he shot it towards the Gate Card to prepare for the final battle.

 **10T**

"Then let's begin... Bakugan, brawl! **Hydranoid** , stand!" Masquerade called, as the Bakugan made a stand. And at that moment, as it opened up, a familiar form started to make its appearance, facing Leonidas as Sora watched carefully.

Then, with the opponent materializing, the Darkus Brawler widened his eyes in horror as he recognized the Bakugan that was right in front of him.

"That's...!" Sora gasped as he recalled of the vision he had in the past weeks before he had met Leonidas.

 _"That's... the same Bakugan that was in my nightmare...! So this is... Hydranoid...!? Masquerade's Guardian Bakugan!?_ " Sora thought before he checked the Power Level in his Baku-Pod. And to his shock...

 _"Hydranoid's Power Level at 450 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing the Darkus Brawler to widen his eyes at such power.

"His Power Level... It's just like with Vladitor's...! Did he sent many Bakugan to the Doom Dimension as well to gain such power...!?" Sora gasped in shock as he heard a dark chuckle coming from the hydra-like Bakugan.

"Quite perceptive of you, foolish boy... Like with what Vladitor has done, I fought in this dimension in order to gain the power that I seek... That power involved banishing many Bakugan into the Doom Dimension..." Hydranoid spoke darkly.

Leonidas glared at the enemy, upon realizing that it had fallen into Vladitor's level for causing so much chaos. But upon thinking back of what Vladitor wanted...

* * *

 **Flashback**

 _"My army needs a general, Leonidas. Join me... and together, we will beat ALL Bakugan!" Vladitor declared, causing Preyas to panic._

 _"All Bakugan!? T-This guy is really serious, isn't he!?" Preyas gasped._

 **Flashback End**

* * *

 _"If I had fought like what Vladitor and Hydranoid have done, would I have been just like them? Seeking for the power that I needed by destroying every Bakugan that I wished to fight off...?"_ Leonidas thought before he thought back to when Vladitor had realized where Leonidas was born from.

The same realization that brought shock to not just Sora, but to the Brawlers and their Guardian Bakugan when they had heard the news.

* * *

 **Flashback**

 _As Sora glares while standing back up, Vladitor chuckles to himself before he speaks to Leonidas once again, who weakly opens out of his ball form._

 _"Now that I've battled with you, Leonidas... I know what makes you different! You're from the Doom Dimension!" Vladitor grunted out loud. The last words shocked Dan, Sora, and Marucho very hard, along with Drago and Preyas._

 _"W-What did you say...? Leonidas...? From the Doom Dimension?" Sora breathed out in disbelief, before he looked down at his Guardian Bakugan, who tenses at the truth being spilled out to his human partner and his friends._

 _"I sensed the connection immediately and I should know... I was trapped there for eons!" Vladitor continued on, with Sora shaking his head in disbelief._

 _"Leonidas...?" Sora asked, causing Leonidas to look down a little, possibly due to shame before Vladitor continued with his offer to the dragon Bakugan._

 _"We are the same, Leonidas... Born of darkness! Join me, and we will destroy all Bakugan!" Vladitor demanded loudly._

 **Flashback End**

* * *

 _"Should I have been just like Vladitor... I probably... No... I would've had no hesitation on being a pawn due to my former wish of destroying every Bakugan that stood in my way... But then... Before all that... came Sora..."_ Leonidas thought as the battle had begun.

"Gate Card, open!" Sora called out as the second Darkus Reactor card opened up, boosting both Darkus Bakugan by a Power Level of 200 G's!

"You're starting to bore me, kid... Ability Card, activate! Ha!" Masquerade called out as he threw the Ability Card, causing a dark storm to appear out of nowhere, catching the Darkus Brawler off guard before the masked Brawler called out the attack.

" **Chaos of Darkness**!" Masquerade called out, causing Hydranoid to roar before it gathered energy to shoot multiple dark blasts onto Leonidas, who roared in pain from the multiple hits he was taking!

"Leonidas, no!" Sora gasped as he watched his partner take multiple hits as he took a few steps back.

But before he could activate Leonidas' signature Ability Card... the look on Hydranoid made the Darkus Brawler pale a bit, unable to move or do anything. The vision he had of seeing Hydranoid appear and try to destroy him...

 _"Why... can't I... move? Am I... Am I scared... because of what he could do to me during the battle? But Leonidas...! If I don't do something, then Leonidas could meet his end at the Doom Dimension! Why can't I move!?"_ Sora thought angrily, feeling bitter towards himself.

The masked Brawler watched in amusement, before believing that this was his victory.

"It would seem that this is the end for you. Say goodbye to your Bakugan friend, Sora!" Masquerade called out, causing Sora to widen his eyes. And before he knew it, the Darkus Brawler made his move on instinct!

"Ability Card, activate! **Alpha Blaster**!" Sora shouted out as the signature ability of Leonidas began to do its work, causing the masked Brawler to perk up and watch as Hydranoid's attacks were proving to do very little damage!

 _"Leonidas' Power Level increases to 850 G's."_ The Baku-Pod buzzed as Leonidas flew high in the air before he looked straight down to where his opponent was at.

"Feel the fury of those who had fallen to you with this attack! HAH!" Leonidas roared before he blasted the Alpha Blaster attack straight to where Hydranoid stood! Before the masked Brawler could react, the Guardian Bakugan of his took the direct hit!

The hydra-like Bakugan roared in pain before an explosion occurred, creating a shockwave that nearly knocked Sora off balance! Masquerade only watched as a bright light flashed into both his and Sora's eyes...

 **WIN: Sora**

* * *

With the battlefield closing, the two Brawlers were back in reality as Sora was still dazed from what had happened. As for Masquerade, he picked up his defeated Guardian Bakugan and only scoffed a little.

"Impressive... You've come a long way, in such a short time. And you... I see now why Vladitor wants you as an ally." Masquerade spoke before he turned to Leonidas, who was fatigued, but still strong enough to have a conversation.

"The offer to join us still stands. Together, we could rule all Bakugan!" Masquerade offered, causing Sora to blink in shock. They were still waiting for Leonidas to join them, even after what had happened in the past few days?

But before the Darkus Brawler could angrily protest...

"I might have been tempted once... but why would I choose second best?" Leonidas asked, catching Sora by surprise while Masquerade wasn't amused by the immediate rejection once again.

"Fool! You'll regret this!" Masquerade declared before he turned to make his leave. As he was doing so, a portal opened up, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise.

"A... portal?" Sora breathed out weakly as the masked Brawler headed inside, before the portal disappeared. But his voice was heard of as it echoed through the inside of the warehouse.

"Soon, all Bakugan will bow down before me!" Masquerade declared before his presence was gone. As soon as he was gone, the Darkus Brawler remained silent before he exhaled...

Falling to his knees, the Darkus Brawler shook his head, feeling exhausted and a bit down at the same time. Leonidas didn't speak, as he too was exhausted for what had happened during the battle.

As the two were panting in exhaustion, the Darkus Bakugan spoke to his human partner.

"Sora... Thanks... for coming to your senses at the nick of time..." Leonidas grunted, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise. Then, he remembered that he instinctively used Leonidas' signature Ability during the battle...

Sighing weakly, the Darkus Brawler managed to say two words...

"No problem..."

But in truth, the Darkus Brawler didn't know why he was able to do it, when he had so much fear of Hydranoid just by looking at him and when the Darkus Bakugan unleashed his signature attack onto Leonidas...

 _"This has to stop... I can't... be like this forever."_ Sora thought before he lied on his back, looking at the ceiling of the warehouse...

To be continued...

* * *

 **Sora's Ranking and Battles:**

 **Rank: 286**

 **W/L: 9/1**

 **Next chapters:**

 **Chapter 9: We Need Our Ventus Friend!**

 **Chapter 10: The Old Times Get Better**

 **Chapter 11: Childhood Friend to Face Off!**

 **Chapter 12: The Story About Vestroia**

 **Chapter 13: The Brawlers and Bakugan Valley**

 **Preview :**

 **Marucho** \- Marucho here! Coming up later on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, we all think that it would be a great idea to get a little help from Shun, the master of Ventus. Especially since we've been heating up with Masquerade. But for some crazy reason, Dan doesn't agree with us! And neither does Sora! Then suddenly, Dan passes out! Please come back and help us, Shun! What's that? But only if we win? Come on, Preyas! I'm depending on you!

 **Marucho** \- Bakugan, brawl! Let's do this!


End file.
